You can't stop the beat as Hairspray rolls into Edinburgh

Scottish audiences are in for a treat when the cast of the ultimate feel-good musical Hairspray heads to the city this month.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Mar 2018, 14:05 BST
Updated 8th Mar 2018, 15:12 BST
Brenda Edwards stars as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray which is at the Edinburgh Playhouse this month.Brenda Edwards stars as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray which is at the Edinburgh Playhouse this month.
Brenda Edwards stars as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray which is at the Edinburgh Playhouse this month.

Hairspray is back on the road touring the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland and will be at the Edinburgh Playhouse from March 12-17.

Starring ITV comedy legend Norman Pace and theatre actress and 
X Factor contestant Brenda Edwards, the show is is a musical based on the 1988 film of the same name which featured Divine and Ricki Lake by cult filmmaker John Waters.

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Brenda explained what audiences can expect from the production. “Hairspray is a show for all the family, whatever age you are,” she said.

“The songs and the story are fantastic and it’s a really feel-good show. I am hoping everybody in Edinburgh will be up on their feet dancing! It is going to be a lot of fun.

“The musical is set in Baltimore in 1962 and is about a young girl called Tracy Turnblad. She is full of life and even bigger hair and she just wants to be famous. She gets together with my character, Motormouth Maybelle, and her son Seaweed and enlists her help to integrate everyone.”

Tracy dreams of dancing her way onto national television and her audition makes her a local star. Soon she is using her new-found fame to fight for equality and she finds love with local heartthrob Link Larkin along the way.

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Brenda said her character is a lot of fun to play. She added: “She is a very strong woman and has two children. She is a DJ at her local radio station as well as owning a local record shop. She is larger than life and it is a character I can relate to.”

Brenda, who has previously starred in stage productions of Chicago and We Will Rock You, said her favourite song in the show is You Can’t Stop The Beat. She said: “This is when we all come together, all integrated. It is a fantastic song which just keeps going and going! It is my favourite part of the show.

“I can’t wait to come back to Edinburgh - the audiences there never disappoint!

“Hairspray is not a show where you sit down and be quiet, we prefer to have the interaction with our audiences.” She added: “I always love coming to Edinburgh, it is such a beautiful city. I am really looking forward to it.”

Hairspray is at the Edinburgh Playhouse from March 12-17. For tickets visit www.atgtickets. com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

Related topics:EdinburghIreland