REVIEW: Hairspray at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Based on the 1988 film of the same name starring Ricki Lake, this upbeat musical is full of fun with bright colours, bold choreography and catchy tunes from start to finish.
After a successful run on Broadway, the film was remade in 2007 and John Travolta and Zac Efron were among the stars cast. This latest tour does both movies every bit of justice.
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Hide AdRebecca Mendoza delights as Tracy, never more so when pining for hunky Link Larkin. I Can Hear the Bells was a highly amusing character performance.
The audience went wild for Matt Rixon and Norman Pace as Tracy’s parents, particularly in Timeless to Me.
Whilst Layton Williams and Gina Murray impressed vocally as Seaweed and Velma Von Tussle respectively, the song of the night went to Brenda Edwards as Motormouth Maybelle singing I Know Where I’ve Been. Her spine-tingling rendition of the stirring number reminded the audience why she was the last woman standing in 2005’s X Factor semi-final. With that voice, it’s a wonder she didn’t win.
Fans of the musical, stage and screen, won’t be disappointed.
Until Saturday.