Culture writer Femi Olajugbagbe reviews Hairspray, praising the dazzling set and cast performances but stressing the need for the show’s anti-racial themes to be brought to the fore
(trigger warning: Discussion of potential racial profiling)
Hairspray is an eight-time Tony Award winning musical, based on the 1988 John Waters film of the same name. The story follows Tracy Turnblad, a teenage overnight sensation on The Corny Collins Show, who defies social expectations concerning plus-sized women. She strives for further social change, alongside her new friends Seaweed J. Stubbs and Motormouth Maybelle, and they fight together for racial integration on national television. Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby stars as Tracy Turnblad, making her debut in professional theatre!
As the show opened I was immediately struck by the vibrant costumes, designed by Takis, who clearly valued colour theory in his decisions. The use of complementary colour combinations of orange and blue or yellow and purple for the dresses and suits of the ensemble allowed each dancer to stand out in their own way. The persistent use of exciting colours throughout the first half secured a drastic contrast in the opening of the second act, ‘The Big Dollhouse’, in which the entire female ensemble is put in jail, wearing black and white jumpsuits.
As the show opened I was immediately struck by the vibrant costumes
An unforgettable performance was delivered by the powerhouse, Joanne Clifton, known for being a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing between 2014 and 2016. As the antagonist, Velma Von Tussell, the moment where Clifton shined the most was during ‘(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs’ Reprise when she stood in front of a black back drop with singular spotlight lighting her from behind, shimmering against her holographic dress. To me, it was one of the most powerful uses of set and lighting in the show, despite it being so simple. It allowed Clifton to display the power that Velma held above everyone as the wicked and controlling producer of The Corny Collins Show.
Hairspray was full of comedic moments that had the entire audience in stitches of laughter. One of my favourite musical theatre tropes is comedy duets where the actors break the fourth wall and improvise some of their jokes every night, such ‘Friendship’ from Anything Goes. This was delivered during Edna and Wilbur Turnblad’s number ‘You’re Timeless to Me’. It was a heartfelt moment to witness Neil Hurst (Edna) and Dermot Canavan (Wilbur) take a moment to break character and laugh with each other. This kind of pause in the narrative allowed the cast to connect and have an intimate moment with the audience. It was a reminder that the cast were having fun in their work and truly love performing!
Hairspray was full of comedic moments that had the entire audience in stitches of laughter.
The show is also able to demonstrate its versatility in more emotional moments, such as ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’. Playing the character of Motormouth Maybelle, the sensational Michelle Ndegwa sang the lyrics “There’s a light in the distance”, hoping for racial integration and equality in the future. Last night’s performance proved that the lyrics of the song and the meaning behind the musical itself are not merely reflections of history, but also a reminder of the work that society still has to do. On the 4th of September, Reece Richards, who played Seaweed on the tour, was on his way back from a performance, when he experienced what he referred to as an incident of racial profiling when he was arrested by the police (1). Richards’ statement on the incident was released on the 16th of September, making last night’s rendition of the song feel as though the cast were singing as themselves rather than as their characters. You could see the pain in ensembles eyes as they thought about their castmate and his experience (1). I would like to highlight the performance of Shemar Jarrett, who is covering the role of Seaweed. He had so much passion and energy throughout the show and brought outstanding dance skills to the ensemble.
Overall, the performance of the show was amazing. However, upon my reflection of recent events and the current social climate, I realised that the musical doesn’t do enough to be a strong anti-racist show. For example, the elements of white saviourism and the polite language that is used to ‘condemn’ racism. In fact, the word racism is rarely used in the show. While it can still be a great production to watch and enjoy, I believe that the Hairspray script should be adapted, which is not uncommon for popular Broadway shows. This would not require the show to change a lot, but the small changes in language and approaches to situations will have a big impact on the things that the audience learn from the show. Theatre has the power to reach millions of people, that is why it is so important for the people behind it to reflect, adapt and teach.
(Hairspray runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome from Wed 18 September – Sat 21 September 2024)
(1) Victoria Cook. (2024). ‘Sex Education actor’s arrest to be investigated’. BBC News, 18 Sept. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxrv0xyr22o [Accessed 20/09/2024]
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