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An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Nicholas de Jongh's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Jack O'Brien, Jerry Mitchell (choreographer), Lon Hoyt (musical director).
Cast: Adrian Hansel, Verity Rushworth, Nigel Planer, Liam Tamne, Brian Conley, Paul Manuel, Johnnie Fiori, Liz Robertson, Zoe Rainey, Chloe Hart
Description: A poignant musical by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, based on the film by John Waters about big-hearted Baltimore girl Tracy Turnblad.
Times: Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat & Sun 3pm (extra mats Dec 22 & 23, 30, Feb 17, Apr 7, 14, Jun 2, Aug 18, 25, 3pm, no eve perf Dec 24, no perf Dec 25), booking to Dec 21 2010
Price: £22.50-£62.50, concs available, limited £25 front row stalls seats available in person from 10am on day of the performance
Trains: Tube: Holborn/Tottenham Court Road 
Phone: 0207379 5399
Website: www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk
In the pink: Leanne Jones, second left, makes a stunning stage debut as the earnest Tracy who hankers to be Miss Teenage Hairspray, alongside an unrecognisable Michael Ball, in red, as her mother Edna Turnblad
A cut above: Leanne Jones (Tracy), Mel Smith (Wilbur), Ben James-Ellis (Link Larkin) and Michael Ball (Edna)
Super troupers: John Barrowman and Elaine Paige
Smith & Jones...& Black: Mel Smith, Griff Rhys-Jones and Cilla Black at the Bloomsbury Ballroom after-show party
Here it is at last, the plump girls' feelgood, romantic comedy of a musical, whose dancing heels take a knockout kick at racist bigots in downtown Baltimore 45 years ago. Hairspray catches the heady, hopeful atmosphere of America teetering on the verge of Sixties cultural and political change. Rhythm and blues and Motown, then in their earlier stages, pump out the musical's seductive beat in the hectic dynamism of Jack O'Brien's production with Jerry Mitchell's quicksilver choreography. Agitation for civil rights, soon to gain powerful momentum, begins right here in the city. Sex and love, those vital ingredients without which no musical has legs, do not come in far behind.
Hairspray, now in its fifth Broadway year, sent the rare, sweet smell of success wafting through the Shaftesbury last night. Inspired by John Walters's camp, Eighties feast of a film it paints a wicked picture of blue-collar Baltimore, where girls crave their 15 minutes of fame on TV and boys crave girls. It comes at us in rare musical parts: the first part is low-camp satire and burlesque: Michael Ball deliciously fattened up and dragged down in bland frocks and lurid gowns, majestically slips into the role of the fat, foghorned laundress, Edna Turnblad, who responds to a large insult with a majestically contemptuous "Excuse me." Leanne Jones, in an astonishingly accomplished stage debut, plays Edna's big-sized daughter, Tracy, whose hair stands high as a beehive-and who hankers to become Miss Teenage Hairspray on local TV. The other part takes a radically political turn in a Baltimore where young blacks and whites cannot dance together.
It is through Jones's endearingly earnest Tracy, who dances with a lightness belying her size, that links between love, comedy and radical politicsare forged. "I just think it's stupid we can't all dance together," Tracy says and leads the picketing of the local TV station. Here Tracie Bennett's witch-like, blonde and racist producer schemes to ensure her evil daughter, Rachel Wooding's Amber, beats Tracy for the coveted Hairspray title. The book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan may culminate in typical, glorious absurdity when Ball bursts out of a giant can of Hairspray to sing the tremendous last number,You Can't Stop The Beat, but the musical is sustained by its attack on racial discrimination and its alluring, escapist, fairytale elements. Ben James-Ellis's would-be hunk, Link Larkin, collides with Tracy and love at first sight breaks out on both sides: "We won't go all the way, but I'll go pretty far," she sings, dreaming of an imminent,erotic future. And the record shop where Johnnie Fiori's exuberant Motormouth Maybelle puts her terrific voice to good effect draws blacks and whites together.
Marc Shaiman's urgent score, with clever, often witty lyrics written with Scott Whitman, keeps Hairspray pulsating with musical excitement as well as political anger. And Leanne Jones, as smitten, adolescent lover and Miss Teenage Hairspray, effortlessly commands the stage. She will hearten all actresses who imagine that only the pencil-thin can inherit the lead dressing room.
Shaftesbury Theatre: 020 7379 5399
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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went to see the show on tuesday 26/05/09 what a breath of fresh air to see such fantastic singers and dancers of all ages and sizes BRILLIANT would go to see again and again and never get bored
- Wendy Gliszczynski, thrapston england
Seen the show twice and thoroughly enjoyed both equally, cant stop singing when you come out. Wasn't sure about Michael Ball before I saw it but hey he is brilliant very believable as Edna, cant say a bad thing about it if I get the chance will go again. Pure feel good show has you singing about Baltimore for weeks.
- Pauline Simmons, Northampton
Went to see Hairspray last night - I still can't stop smiling! It was fantastic and the sheer joy and energy that radiates out from the cast makes you want to join in. If you can only go to see one show make it Hairspray, you won't be disappointed.
- Hilary.Glanville, Leigh on Sea, UK
This show is guaranteed to make you smile from the time the curtain goes up and all the way home, even when home is Stoke-on-Trent. It is a wonderful show, full of wonderful up beat songs that you can't get out of your head. It is also so well cast - everyone plays their part so well and there are so many wonderful moments - Ben's Elvis number, Michael and Mels duet, Jonnie's soulful solo, Tracey's solo and all of Leane's songs throughout the show. A new star has been born. Go and see it - once you have been you will want to go again and again. Also well done to The Shafesbury Theatre - your staff are so helpful and friendly. I do so hope this is the big success you have all been waiting for.
- Liz Leese, Stoke-on-Trent
My daughter and I went to see Hairspray on Saturday 27/10/07, we both enjoyed the show the dancing, costumes everything was fantastic and Leanne was amazing you can see how she enjoys her part and has a wonderful voice.
I would highly recommend this show, it had us up dancing, the songs were terrific Michael played a great lead role. My daughter adored Ben and was over the moon to get a picture of her with him after the show.
Well done to everyone involved we would both go and see this several times more and would really recommend that everyone should go, we hope this has a very long run in London.
We also say thank-you to the actors of the show for making time to sign the programmes and have pictures taken, they all were very polite and professional.
- Jan Strudwick, Hampton Middlesex
