Hairspray: Hayley’s journey from Falkirk to performing in hit musical touring UK
and live on Freeview channel 276
She was raised in Falkirk, and joined the family performing school Dancedreams Theatre School aged only two.
I caught up with her this week and she is looking forward to catching up with family and friends.
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Hide AdShe told me: “Next week we play Dartford then for the final week we come to Glasgow’ so even more chances to renew acquaintances.“
She went on to join Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom before graduating with First Class Honours in professional dance and musical theatre at Urdang Academy.
Hayley has enjoyed great parts in Sticky Notes in 2014 and Fame: the Musical in 2020 both in the West End and on tour.
For this UK wide tour, she plays Brenda - a student at Patterson Park High School then as a dancer on the Corny Collins Show on TV. The stage musical won 8 Tony Awards and 4 Olivier Awards and was based on the 1988 movie and all set in Baltimore 1962.
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Hide AdThis allows for big hair, swirling skirts and great beat music from that era. Tracey Turnblad played brilliantly by Katie Brace dreams of appearing on the local TV dance show and her audition makes her an instant local star meaning she now has a voice for promoting equality.
Alex Bourne is unmissable as Edna Turnblad, Bernadette Bangura was a truly amazing understudy as Motormouth Maybelle.
And what a surprise to see Norman Pace as a convincing Wilber Turnblad as we all know him from his years as one half of the comedy duo Hale & Pace. Their TV series ran for ten years and the characters Ron & Ron known as ‘The Management’ became favourites and they even had a No 1 single for Comic Relief for the fake dance craze ‘The Stonk’.
Hayley tells me they are all great to work with and do help the younger cast members along the way. It all helps as she had to understudy at times on this tour for both Amber and Penny Pingleton parts.
Until Saturday.