Sister Act – A Divine Musical Comedy **** Orchard Theatre, Dartford

I shouldn’t have been surprised at how good the score is for Sister Act as it’s from Alan Menken, who has brought us so many of the Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Not to mention a personal favourite – Little Shop of Horrors.

In case you’re unaware the plot concerns wannabe singer Deloris who, after witnessing her mobster (and generally no-good) boyfriend gun down someone is forced to turn to police protection. They in turn decide her safest bet is to disguise herself as a nun in a local convent. Once inside her love of music transforms both the choir of nuns and, more importantly, their lives.

Lesley Joseph stars as the Mother Superior. Her performance manages to combine some classic comedy with genuine emotion. She really is remarkable and completely commands the stage in a very special way. Whilst the score is packed with upbeat numbers, for me she was the highlight with the delightfully tender Here Within These Walls. If you know and love her from Birds of a Feather then you’re in for a treat to see her bringing the magic that makes her a genuine West End star.

Sandra Marvin as Deloris doesn’t let a moment go to waste as the failing and slightly deluded nightlub singer who has convinced herself her life is going to plan. Needless to say from a former Waitress, Hairspray and Chicago star, her vocals are amazing. Her comic timing is also spot on. Most importantly she is convincing in the journey from soul music to spiritual music for the soul, taking her choir of nuns with her.

Clive Rowe is one of our great theatre performers. His turn as the cop who saves Deloris is a delight. He’s got the voice and the moves and, again, brings emotional depth to a role that could easily slip by as a comic aside. He’s also got a special surprise for us in his big number which was great to see. Let’s just say it’s not often the costumes bring on a round of applause in the middle of a number!

Jeremy Secomb is Deloris’ no-good boyfriend in a no-good suit to match. He really comes into his own with the singing, combined with a delightful Jersey Boys pastiche from his henchmen.

This is unashamedly a feel good show with great pace and great tunes. But thanks in part to the lead performances it also has genuine heart and emotion.

Sister Act The Musical is at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 11 February then continues on tour.

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show – Orchard Theatre, Dartford ****

Despite being originally conceived and produced in the early 1970s, The Rocky Horror Show looks, sounds and feels brand spanking new. And I choose my words carefully.

The plot concerns newly engaged Brad and Janet who arrive at Frank N Furter’s rather spooky house needing to make a phone call after their car breaks down. Once they’re in the house they meet the inmates in various ways – most famously in The Time Warp – before Frank N Furter himself arrives and announces he is about to bring his latest creation, Rocky, to life. With cross-dressing, all sorts of sexuality and much more, the show has a clear message about equality and inclusivity. But, as Kenny Everett’s Cupid Stunt said so memorably, it’s all done in the best possible taste – meaning with almost no taste at all! It’s not about the message and subtle is not what they’re going for. As creator Richard O’Brien admits, at heart it’s ‘a bit of fun.’

Philip Franks is experienced in the role of narrator. I saw him doing it back in 2019. His oily charm is perfect for the role and he’s clearly heard every possible talk-back line that audience members throw at him. Added to that he’s also worked in a few meta and topical jokes (a poem about a boy called Harry, example). It’s one of those performances that leaves little or no room to imagine anyone else in the role. He’s joined here by fellow alumni from 2019 including Stephen Webb as Frank N Furter and Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff. Both commit the full-on energy and excesses required to give the show life. Because, let’s face it, the plot is not the thing here. Neither do we become particularly emotionally invested in any of the characters. Like Frankenstein’s monster, what breathes life into this creation is pure energy.

The production design captures all the elements of classics of the horror film genre, from spooky entrance doors and corridors to weird science labs. And the whole set is wrapped in a giant swirl of celluloid film – appropriate not just because of the show’s homage to Hammer films, but also calling back to its early performances in disused cinemas. The lighting is a key ingredient here. Colourful and atmospheric, it also achieves a remarkable rocket launch effect. The latter is helped significantly by the sound design, which results in you feeling the show as well as hearing it. Praise too for the band. Perched high up at the back of the set they are the engine of the show, which is mostly sung through.

The Rocky Horror Show delivers great entertainment, polished production values and, still, an evening at the theatre unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced. It’s a remarkable thing. If you’ve never seen it, go with an open mind and just let it happen. It feels weird at first, but let it grow on you!

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show is at the Orchard Theatre Dartford until Saturday 14 January and then continues on tour.

Thursford Christmas Spectacular 2022 ****

Despite it being their 45th anniversary season, this was only my second visit to Thursford’s Christmas Spectacular. But having been once I was at least prepared for the festive overload that comes with this experience! The Thursford Christmas Spectacular really is a one-of-a-kind show. Some may find the somewhat enforced jollity is not to their tatse, but at Thursford the whole show is wrapped up in such a sparkling experience right from the moment you enter the site – music playing through the fairy-lit trees and Dickensian-dressed characters offering a warm welcome – that you’d be hard pushed to maintain any Scrooge-like sensibilities by the time the show itself begins. 

Being their 45th birthday all the stops have been pulled out – and not just on the Thursford Wurlitzer organ, the capabilities of which are memorably showcased by Phil Kelsall. The on-stage company is the biggest you’re ever likely to see, and by some margin. Nearly everyone involved gets a photo and biography in the programme, which is nice to see. From this we learn that these are highly professional and experienced performers across the board, with CVs including opera and the West End.  

The quality is evident in every aspect of the show. It’s essentially a good old fashioned variety show. Tiller girl-style high kicking dance routines, precision marching to ’76 trombones’, West End showstoppers from Half a Sixpence, Mary Poppins and Hairspray and much more besides. Compared with last year – my only point of reference as a relative newbie – I thought there was more seasonal content in this year’s production. Nevertheless I am always pleased to see the musical theatre classics given the Thursford treatment even when they are not Christmassy.

Returning as host is Kev Orkian, performing that rare trick of being funny for an audience that, mostly, haven’t come to see him. He’s also a gifted musical talent, doing some clever and witty musical parodies. 

The orchestra/band is large and versatile. Their Dixieland-style version of Maria Carey’s All I Want for Christmas was inspired. Whilst Hairspray’s You Can’t Stop the Beat was powerful and vibrant.

Amidst all the spectacle there’s a delightfully witty and wonderfully English comedy song complaining about the Church Of England. I’d somehow missed out on the gem that is Mrs Beamish and on checking (there’s no programme credit for any composers or lyricists – a shame) I see it’s by Richard Stilgoe and Peter Skellern. Joyous. 

Having seen last year’s show I was particularly impressed that, a few traditional elements aside, it seemed to me an entirely new production. Yes, the essence and the format remain the same, but costumes, choreography, music – even Ken Orkian’s jokes – were all new for this year. The only thing is I think I’m all Christmassed-out now! 

The Thursford Christmas Spectacular runs until 23 December 2022.

The Osmonds – Orchard Theatre, Dartford ****

On first hearing there’s a musical about the Osmonds you’d be forgiven for thinking that, surely, it’s already been done. But despite many examples of the genre from Buddy (Holly) to Jersey Boys, and others too numerous to mention, somehow the Osmonds escaped attention.

What we learn from this show is how they went to great lengths to control their own careers, albeit not always successfully. It seems likely, then, the reason their story hasn’t been translated into a musical until now is because they didn’t allow it. And prominent in the publicity for the show (and even on the front cloth) is the byline ‘Story by Jay Osmond’. So we know from the off that we’re seeing a version of history through the lens of someone who has spent most of their life building and defending the Osmond brand.

There is, possibly, another reason why the Osmond story hasn’t been seized upon for the musical treatment. Putting it bluntly, despite their prodigious output, their back catalogue is not exactly over-stuffed with crowd pleasing classic hits that are lodged in the minds of anyone other than ardent fans. Obviously we get Love Me for a Reason, Puppy Love and the dubious charms of Long Haired Lover from Liverpool. But we also have Traffic in My Mind, Utah and Rainin’ – which for me don’t provoke the same response. And in a show which pretty much marches chronologically forward through their story, their biggest hit is glossed over with just a mention and doesn’t make itself heard until the bows.

Despite this, though, the show has great charm, warmth and, above all, pace. The story is told simply and without gimmicks. Jay Osmond (Alex Lodge) is our reliable narrator and, with a few exceptions, it’s ‘tell’ rather than ‘show’ as Jay conveys the family’s progress from singing for their deaf older brothers, via a meeting with Walt Disney to their big break with regular appearances on the Andy Williams Show. Eschewing dramatisation of incidents, the show illustrates career milestones with song after song. Ryan Anderson, Jamie Chatterton, Danny Nattrass and Joseph Peacock do a terrific job as Merrill, Alan, Wayne and Donny alongside Alex Lodge’s Jay. Nattrass may have been a source of useful Osmond insight as I see from his programme biog that he appeared in last year’s Palladium panto, which starred one Donny Osmond.

In the early days, though, we are treated to young versions of the boys who were just great, with some particularly effective close harmony work from the press night team of Herbie Byers, Jayden Harris, brothers Austin and Miles Redwood and Dexter Seaton. The icing on the junior cake was Austin Riley’s totally convincing rendition of Jimmy Osmond’s Long Haired Lover hit.

I also liked Georgia Lennon as Marie Osmond, who has a beautiful voice. The one fictional device employed in telling the story is the use of a lifelong fan who signs herself ‘Wendy from Manchester’, when she writes regular fan letters to Jay. This results in an unexpectedly poignant moment near the end of the show thanks in large part to Sophie Hirst’s sympathetic portrayal of what could easily have been a forgettable part.

The staging is effective with a flexible single-set design minimising the need for cast or crew to move bits of furniture or scenery about. The rainbow of colours stretching from the backdrop and running across the stage could have looked a little too swinging sixties, but somehow works throughout the show. Perhaps it’s also deliberately reminding us of Donny’s time playing the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

The Osmonds is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 19 November 2022 and then continues on tour.

Waitress – Orchard Theatre, Dartford *****

I saw Waitress in its West End incarnation and I must say seeing it again it’s grown on me hugely since then. The songs don’t have that instant appeal of an Oilver! score, but they have depth and heart and emotional impact which really rewards a second visit.

Cheslea Halfpenny stars as Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated. With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe for happiness.

As Jenna, Chelsea Halfpenny is the emotional heart of the show. She deals with an abusive father, an abusive husband, and un-wanted pregnancy. It’s not an obviously showy part and has to remain serious and credible, leaving the humour to other characters, such as fellow waitresses at Joe’s Pie Cafe Becky (Wendy Mae Brown) and Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins) and Dr Pomatter (David Hunter). Halfpenny has terrific vocal range and power and we see the world through her eyes. When she opens up to us in ‘She Used to Be Mine’ the whole stage opens up too – with the narrow world of her home with the absusive Carl going widescreen in front of us.

The set is a joy in itself. With the band in place to one side, we see a beautiful yet desolate landscape through the windows of a classic American diner. It’s at once a homely and a lonely place. Clever use of flats and lighting brings the focus down from the wide open spaces into the most intimate of places.

There’s a great supporting cast. Wendy Mae Brown is suitably sassy as Becky, dealing with her own troubles at home with a sick husband. Evelyn Hoskins (an alumni of the second West End cast) is cute and funny as Dawn, an oddball character with no one else in her life until the arrival of Ogie, understudy Liam McHugh stepping in and stepping up in a comic triumph.

David Hunter is outstanding as Jenna’s love interest Dr Pomatter. His is an endearing and hilarious performance, full of great physical detail. He played the role in the original West End cast and his knowledge of what works for him and his character really shows.

The thankless role of Jenna’s no-good husband Earl goes convincingly to Tamlyn Henderson – another alumni from the West End cast. You may also not spot, as I initially didn’t, Michael Starke (you’ll know him best as Sinbad from Brookside) as diner owner Jo who also gets a delightful duet with Jenna.

Yet again this is a full-on West End musical right on the doorstep. High production values, slick stage management and to top it all, a clever and original score which results in an original and musical.

Waitress is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 9 July 2022 and then continues on tour.

Anything Goes, Barbican Theatre, London ****

The nautical blues and whites of Anything Goes, along with sparkling costumes, music and dialogue, prove the perfect antidote to an ever more sombre world. The effect is heightened by its contrast to the all pervasive brown of its home at the Barbican Centre. It’s the second summer the SS America has set sail from here and key members of last year’s company are on board along with four new top-billing stars in the shape of Kerry Ellis, Denis Lawson, Simon Callow and Bonnie Langford (although Bonnie is off for the first full week of the run, returning from 5 July, with Anna McGarahan ably stepping in until then).

The story is almost pure froth, concerning the romantic misadventures of a mixed band of criminals, entertainers and socialites as they set sail for England from New York. It’s what Gilbert and Sullivan would have been writing if they’d been around in the 1930s, although it largely lacks their satirical edge. Cole Porter’s songs are just perfect and you’ll know most of them as they’ve become standards in their own right – something that’s easier to happen with musicals of this era where people burst into song in ways which don’t necessarily move the action or characters forward – they just stop the show for the pure joy if it!

Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeney is stunning. She’s delivers a role packed with songs and huge dance numbers with apparently effortless ease. The title number ends the first act and has one of the longest sustained dance breaks you’ll ever see. She’s in the whole number, singing and dancing and looking like she’s having a ball. This love and enthusiasm pervades the whole company and reaches out into the audience. A word, too, about the ensemble dancers, particularly the men who do some energetic posing during Blow Gabriel Blow.

Our hero is Billy Crocker, hopelessly in love (as he sees it) with debutant Hope Harcourt. Samuel Edwards as Billy is a delight. Great singing voice, naive charm and smooth dance moves. But for me the real star of the show is Denis Lawson as gangster Moonface Martin (public enemy number 13 and struggling to get into the top 10). He’s an actor who clearly knows how to showcase his charm and humour and really does so to great comic effect.

As an avid cruiser I can vouch for the authentic atmosphere of the cabin sets, with their cosy lighting and elegant fittings. And to top it off we have a superb band in the pit which plays a significant part in injecting pace into the proceedings.

As an aside, the Barbican has lovely spacious seats with plenty of leg-room. But as an infrequent visitor I must say it’s not well sign-posted from the tube (in fact as far as I could see there is no reference anywhere to the Barbican ‘theatre’) and the walk along an underground dual carriageway to the venue was enough to put you off ever going again! Thank goodness the show itself couldn’t have been more of a contrast.

Sue in the Stalls attended courtesy of London Box Office:

https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/anything-goes-tickets

School of Rock, Orchard Theatre, Dartford ***

Fans of the movie will be pleased to know that this musical version is a pretty faithful adaptation which stays true to the original not only in terms of story but also to Jack Black’s performance as Dewey Finn. For new readers, Dewey Finn is a failed wanna-be rock musician who finds his way into the role of substitute teacher at a New York private school. Here he discovers his class of young students actually have musical talent which he decides to nurture into a rock band, while ignoring subjects on the curriculum that aren’t rock related – meaning all of them!

Music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has clearly used his own early works (notably Jesus Christ Superstar and, I think, Variations) as an influence on this score. We had perhaps forgotten that Lloyd Webber has a rock pedigree, having invented the rock opera as a musical theatre form along with Tim Rice in the 1970s. Here he is on fine form with catchy and powerful numbers like You’re in the Band, Stick it to the Man and Time to Play. We also get the title number from the film, written not by Lloyd Webber but Sammy James Jr. and the film’s screenwriter Mike White. Other numbers are less successful. Yes they move the story forward and effectively introduce both characters and the school the children attend. But they don’t really set pulses racing or deliver any standout moments, which begins to be a concern during the early part of the show.

The book is by Julian Fellowes, a world away from Downton Abbey. He claims in the programme to have given us more back story on each child in the band. I’m not sure his scene with several of the children confronting their parents at home with the ‘rock homework’ delivers the goods as effectively as the original film. In that, such insights are shown in the classroom as the reticent and up-tight pupils discover their true selves whilst they gradually open-up to the emotional power of the rock music being introduced to them by Dewey Finn. In this stage musical that journey takes place in the course of a single number, so the children go from Hogwarts to School of Rock in five minutes, which leaves plot and character development with less to do in the remainder of the show. This means much sense of dramatic tension about the ability or willingness of the children to become a rock band is missing. We go straight from them not being a band, to being a band – so we can see pretty much the rest of the plot from this point on, which is quite early in act one.

Jake Sharp as Dewey Finn has enough energy to power every light on the set. It’s almost a one-man show. Finn’s enthusiasm has to be supremely contagious, and Sharp absolutely makes sure it is. He drives the show along and this, combined with the bouncy commitment of the children in his class, soon wins you over and carries you along through any of the less thrilling musical moments. It really is a tour de force. His relationship with head teacher Miss Mullins has added depth thanks to Rebecca Lock’s strong vocals and a great number she gets to herself revealing her own history with rock music (Where did the Rock Go?).

The children are also great. They sing and move with joy and gusto, while some display prodigious talent on guitar, keyboard and drums. We have come to expect children in musicals to be amazing, with a number of shows over the years, like this one, really relying for their success on their young performers. For instance Matilda, Annie, and Oliver! But this large group (twelve of them) really bring the theatre alive with their energy and commitment, backed-up by what the programme calls the ‘grown up band’ – who do a terrific job, whilst allowing themselves to be overshadowed by the on-stage talent.

A word, too, about the set which is satisfyingly grand and moves about swiftly and slickly to effect the scene changes.

School of Rock is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 28 May 2022 and then continues on tour.

Review – Chicago, Orchard Theatre, Dartford *****

Chicago is, unbelievably, based on a true story. Originally a stage play in 1926, Kander and Ebb (the team behind the current West End smash hit revival, Cabaret) turned it into a musical in 1975. It tells the story of Roxie Hart, awaiting trial for the murder of her lover, and her rivalry with fellow prisoner Velma Kelly for the attentions of super slick lawyer Billy Flynn and, most importantly, a fickle public eager for salacious gossip.

Chicago has been around for a long time. The original Broadway production transferred to the West End in 1979, but it is the 1996 Broadway revival version which has given the show such tremendous staying power. It opened in London in 1997 where it stayed for 15 years and has been touring almost continuously ever since. And it’s still an unusual and striking way to stage a musical. For a start the band (a hugely impressive 10 piece plus MD) takes centre stage in a set reminiscent of a court room. There is hardly any other set and performers sit around the edges on chairs watching the action when they are not involved themselves, as if, I suppose, in the public gallery of the courtroom.

Despite it being, effectively, almost a concert performance, the enormous strength of the score and the stylish production numbers make it a memorable and captivating show.

Djalenga Scott gets a great entrance in the opening number, rising up through the band to perform All That Jazz. She is a slick and elegant dancer with a powerful voice. She also showed great comic timing as her Velma is constantly out-witted by Roxie’s media manipulation skills. Faye Brookes, perhaps best known as Kate Connor in Coronation Street, is Roxie. Sparkly, sassy and with complete command of all the moves and tunes, she makes a terrifically watchable star. I would have to say though, that Scott has the slight edge in the dancing, but the difference only shows in the final number when the pair get to perform together.

This production has a particularly strong cast. Over the years various non-singers and even non-actors have been cast as both Mama Morton and hot-shot lawyer Billy Flynn. But here we are treated to the great original Three Degree Sheila Ferguson as Morton and proper singer Russell Watson as Flynn. Ferguson has the easy authority and cynical world view to carry off Mama Morton with aplomb. Watson’s accent may have wandered a little and he’s not a natural mover (not that he’s really required to dance), but he’s convincing as a lawyer with money rather than justice as his driving focus and, of course, he sure can sing!

Ultimately the key to any musical’s success is its score, and Chicago is packed with numbers you probably know even if you’ve never seen the show – All That Jazz and Razzle Dazzle, to name just two. Thanks to the aforementioned on-stage band, they are given all the panache and power they need. It’s not that unusual to have the band on stage, but to give them centre stage throughout and have an MD who conducts without also having to play the keyboards, creates a whole new dynamic.

Chicago brings a true West End experience to the theatre with no compromises on quality in any department.

Chicago is at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford, until Saturday 23 April 2022 and then continues on tour.

Review – 3 Steps to Heaven, Orchard Theatre, Dartford and on tour ****

Buddy Holly’s enduringly popular songs practically invented the modern so-called juke box musical, with the often revived Buddy Holly Story. That’s a great show, but in 3 Steps to Heaven the concept is taken to its ultimate: shorn of any pretence of telling a story this concert lets the music do the talking. Alongside Holly the producers have chosen another writer and star whose life and career was cut tragically short (in a car accident travelling from a UK concert), Eddie Cochran. His posthumous hit provides the title for the show. Completing the trio we have Roy Orbison. He was stylistically quite different from Holly or Cochran. But then his style was uniquely his own and doesn’t neatly fit with anyone else’s. He also has influences from the 60s to the 80s in his catalogue as he lived until 1988, even then dying relatively young at only 52.

The concert is an invention as the three never performed together. It does, though, bring together a huge catalogue of huge hits. We are reminded that Holly wrote and recorded eight hit records in just two years. These are songs that are still well known today. What’s more they are well known in their original versions, not from re-worked and re-imagined covers. Quite an achievement for someone who died in 1959 aged just 22. Cochran also had hits which live on, such as C’mon Everybody and Summertime Blues. And whilst most people in the audience would either not have been born or at best have been children when Holly and Cochran had hits, many more remember Orbison, whose You Got It chartered immediately after his death in 1988.

So that’s the history and the context; what about the show? Our three leads perform as Cochran, Holly and Orbison without breaking character. As Cochrane, Jonny Labey has a rich voice and a winning stage presence. Edward Handoll has history playing Holly and dons the famous specs with ease. His set contains probably the most well known songs and he re-creates the Holly sound perfectly. Peter Howarth stands rock solid still as the man in black, the big O, (complete with black wig and sunglasses) allowing his soaring voice and huge range to complete the transformation.

The three stars are backed by a supremely professional band headed by musical director Pierce Tee on keyboards. He skilfully enables us to hear live the Holly songs recorded with string backing, something I imagine Holly himself could never do in concert. And whilst the stars are in character from the 50s and 60s, the backing musicians are just themselves. Indeed, the quality of the sound and the stylish lighting design make this concert, I suspect, technically superior to anything either Cochran or Holly would have been able to aspire to in the 1950s.

The whole thing comes together brilliantly to recreate live versions of songs most people know so well from the original records. Being so well known gives the musicians a challenge because every note, every pause, every detail of the arrangements has to be spot-on. And it is (or at least it seemed so to me). They could have sat back and assumed that the audience would be happy just to hear such well known songs again. In effect just letting the songs to do all the work. But these musicians provide highly polished and professional performances which honour the music they are playing and provide more hits in one evening than you’re likely to find in any other show.

3 Steps to Heaven is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 12 February 2022 and then continues on tour.

Review – Hairspray (UK tour at Churchill Theatre, Bromley AND Orchard Theatre, Dartford) *****

Hairspray is one of my favourite musicals. I came to it without having seen the original film so for me having Edna rather more butch than John Travolta’s is always something that takes a little getting used to. Here it’s Alex Bourne doing the honours. His credits include Lex Hogan in Eugenius, another of my favourites, so he starts off scoring highly in my estimation for that!

The story is about Tracy Turnblad’s desire to become a star on the local TV dance show in her home town of Baltimore. It’s 1962 and she encounters and deals with racism and body shaming along the way to getting into the arms of the show’s heart-throb, Link Larkin. The serious underlying issues are served up with seriously great songs and light comedy, which combine to make this an enduring classic. 

Newcomers will find Marc Shaiman’s tunes instantly appealing and the on-set band are terrific.

I saw the original London production with Michael Ball and its Coliseum incarnation (where it was a little lost in that cavernous space last summer). I thoroughly enjoyed them both but this production is absolutely the best of all. The simple staging puts the focus on the performers. And this works brilliantly because the cast give performances of such high quality. Director Paul Kerryson has clearly worked hard on every moment from every character on the stage. The result is a show crammed with great reactions and expressions alongside the core dialogue and musical numbers.

Katie Brace makes her professional debut in the role of Tracy Turnblad. As well as being a good singer and dancer, Brace brings a whole other dimension to her performance, showing Tracy to be the free thinker and breath of fresh air she’s described as in the script. She’s even brilliantly entertaining when just watching the dance show on TV or standing to one side during heartthrob Link Larkin’s big number.

Brenda Edwards is Motormouth Maybelle. She has great stage presence and delivers two outstanding bring-the-house-down numbers, full-on, front and centre. You could watch her all night. 

Alex Bourne plays Tracy’s mother who towers over her doting husband and Tracy’s father Wilbur, played by Norman Pace. The required ‘corpsing’ and rehearsed ad libs are there in their duet and Pace’s version of joke shop owner Wilbur is heart warming, showing us that Tracy’s heart too will always be in the right place . Rebecca Thornhill as the producer the of TV dance show, Velma Von Tussle, has a diffcult role because Velma is such an unsympathetic character. But she brings something extra to the part which makes her completely watchable. Rebecca Jayne-Davies is Tracy’s slightly dim sidekick Penny. She has a much better part than in the film version and really makes the most of it. Her partner Seaweed is played by Reece Richards who looks so right and dances so well. First class in supporting roles we have Richard Meek as TV host Corny Collins and Ross Clifton as Link Larkin.  

Hairspray is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 26 March 2022 and then continues on tour.