Interview: The Cast Of The New UK Tour of HAIRSPRAY

BWW:UK recently sat down for a chat with the stars of the new UK tour of Hairspray at the show's Birmingham press launch at the New Alexandra Theatre, where it is playing over the Christmas period. Here we speak to Claire Sweeney (Velma Von Tussle), Tony Maudsley (Edna), Peter Duncan (Wilbur) and Brenda Edwards (Motormouth Maybelle).

Claire, in 2013, you performed to 'You Can't Stop The Beat' on Comic Relief. Two years later you are in the show itself. Was Velma Von Tussle a role that you had your eye on from that point?

C: Well, it was a bizarre one because they got a load of soap stars together; it was predominantly the Eastenders cast and me randomly in the middle playing Velma Von Tussle. But we didn't sing, it was just the music and we all had to dance as it was a dance competition. This role has always been on my list but years ago when I saw it in the West End, I thought I'm a little bit young for it at the moment. But I've come of an age now where I'm right for it - which is devastating!

Are you enjoying playing the 'baddie' for a change?

C: She's evil, she's so racist! I have lines like "I'm not a bigot, I love Sammy Davis - he's black and a Jew"! She's so awful! That's the most controversial thing I think Velma says, it's horrendous but very funny. The thing is, it's so absurd nowadays but people did used to say things like that as it was kind of the norm then.

Your son has just turned one. How are you finding juggling motherhood alongside your touring schedule?

C: My poor baby! When he was 11 weeks old, he was getting breastfed between scenes by a genie as I was in panto! When the show finished and I was back in my velour tracksuit, he was bored senseless! Then I toured with Sex in Suburbia with him. I've got a CD in my car of nursery rhymes which we play when travelling between venues. My Radio 2 listening days have gone! It's been great for him because he's very sociable and he's not frightened to be passed around people. We had a party for him last Saturday in between shows for his birthday with all the kids and he was dancing with everyone.

Tony, even though you are playing a woman, Edna is STILL somewhat more conservative than your much loved character Kenneth in Benidorm! Are you enjoying all of the flamboyant costumes?

T: I can't really say yes! I've gone from crop tops, crocs and hot pants to high heeled shoes which I haven't quite got my feet around yet! They kill me; I just don't know how women do it! The backs of my legs and my lower back are still trying to cope and some of the theatres have got old rakes which is a whole new thing to contend with altogether. It's painful being a woman; it's not easy, I admire them.

Edna is such an iconic musical theatre character. What do you feel you bring to the role?

T: I approach every acting role the same way and that is by searching for the truth of the character. Sometimes in the past, Edna has been a bit of a cartoon character and a bit one dimensional so I was determined to make her three-dimensional. There are so many different facets to this woman. At the beginning of the story, she's vulnerable and quite broken; she's terrified of the era that she lives in and hasn't moved with the times. She's also felt under pressure to look a certain way and she couldn't achieve it so she's just shrunk away to live in an apartment that has become her tomb really. I wanted to start from the ground with her and work our way up to this woman who flowers and blossoms; learning to love herself and celebrate her individuality. I wanted to make sure that journey was plotted from beginning to end.

Peter, one of the best scenes in musicals of recent years is the one featuring 'You're Timeless To Me' which always get almighty laughs. How do you and Tony keep this fresh every night?

P: It depends on how the audience react as they affect your timing. There's two ways of putting it; there are dead cert places for laughs and everything needs to be timed to the reaction of the laugh. Sometimes that laugh tips into applause when they think it's really funny. We are good at timing the scene so it seems continuous. If you milk it, you can lose the momentum. It's actually about six minutes so it's quite a long sequence which needed a lot of practice!

Aside from pantomimes, you haven't performed in a musical for a while. Was this a conscious decision or were you just waiting for Hairspray to come along?!

P: No, I've always loved musicals. Over the years I have always played fairly iconic roles like Chaplin. Being a bit older now, you start moving into Wilbur territory. Musical theatre is, on the whole, about physicality. Even though Wilbur probably wasn't written as a physical part, I have introduced some of that to the role.

Brenda, following your successful journey on the X Factor, you have really set yourself up as a respected and credible musical theatre performer. Is this where you saw your career heading after the competition ended?

B: No, but I'm over the moon! On the first live show of the X Factor, I performed 'Son Of A Preacher Man' and that was when the call came through from the Chicago directors to ask me to come for an audition but obviously I was still on the show. Having just started, they waited for the ten or eleven weeks that I was in the competition and then I went for my audition just like everybody else. I had about four auditions which was very nerve wracking. I think it was on par as scary as my audition for X Factor. It was an amazing experience to get to do Chicago in the West End. I have always wanted to do that but never had the opportunity to get my foot in the door so X Factor was the perfect platform. I'm so glad I did it because this has been my career for the last decade since the competition ended.

You have played some massive characters including Mama Morton in Chicago, Killer Queen in We Will Rock You and now you are playing Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. Are there any other theatre roles you are itching to play?

B: I'd love to play Effie (from Dreamgirls) but I know I'm probably too old to play her. I'd love to sing 'And I Am Telling You' and 'I Am Changing', all of those big ballad numbers. A few of the guys have said I'd be good as Grizabella in Cats. I love 'Memory', it's an awesome song but I don't know if I would be able to sing that high!

What is the best thing about this stage show in your opinion?

P: I think everyone is so surprised about the skill of its narrative and the way the music and book drives to an end point. So many of the characters get their moment in the limelight. The audience is never allowed to sit back and relax, its continuously moving. It's clever, it's the West Side Story of its day.

B: The show is for everybody, no matter what age you are, what colour you are, no matter what your background is. It's a feel good, fun loving, fantastic show from start to finish. Literally as the curtain goes up, you are holding on to your seats for dear life, trying to catch a breath. It's non-stop! The choreography is out of this world and I'm doing a little bit of dancing myself even though I'm not really a dancer, I'm more of a movement person! But I'm trying to do my thing with the choreography. It's trying to get the message across that everybody can be equal and everyone can live together in harmony. It touches on that serious subject of blacks and whites but it should just be about coming together and that's hopefully what people will take away from watching the show.

What do you think people should take away with them after having watched the show?

C: I want people to come away feeling good about themselves because it's about accepting your own individuality. Black, white, whatever; it's about being happy about who you are.

T: Come and watch the show and then sit back and think about your own tolerance on what is going on in the world right now. We are currently dealing with mass immigration and refugees coming over. The world is constantly changing and it's never going to be how it was fifty years ago. We need to get used to that, embrace it and celebrate diversity. I hope that people bring their kids and use the themes in the show as a platform to start these conversations off. It's the young that will go forward with the changing world so I hope they can take that away with them.

P: People come to see musical theatre for different reasons. People come because their primary objective is to be entertained and surprised by people's talents. If it's an original show, there is more opportunity as a writer to put themes in. Hairspray evolved from the John Waters movie so each creative person since has added value. The audiences are always so surprised and their reactions at stage door tell us this.

What are you most looking forward to about spending Christmas in Birmingham?

C: I love Birmingham. I used to go out with a West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper in 2001 so I spent four years in Birmingham. I have a real fondness for the 'Baggies' and for the city so it's going to be great coming back and spending some time here.

T: Yay, Christmas in Birmingham! I love the new shopping centre I've just seen! The last time I was in Birmingham working was eighteen years ago when I was here at the Alex (New Alexandra Theatre) doing South Pacific with Rusty Lee and Jessica Martin - I had the best time ever. On the theatre circuit, the Alex is known as one of the warmest and welcoming theatres so people really look forward to coming here. I haven't really seen the Bullring yet and I can't wait to explore the nightlife as we are going to be here over Christmas and New Year so there's got to be fun to be had!

B: I'm really looking forward to going to the Bullring to shop, shop, shop! Every time I come to Birmingham, I spend so much money; it's lethal for me! I'm saving some money each week so I can do a really massive Christmas shop here. It will be fantastic, I love Birmingham; it's an amazing city. I had the pleasure of coming to Birmingham with We Will Rock You and there's so much to see. Also, Birmingham is a place full of all different colours and everyone is mixed together so it's going to be a really fantastic cultural experience.

P: I am looking forward to going to each of the five Michelin star restaurants. I like the library as well. The last time I was here doing Birdsong at Birmingham Rep, I spent a lot of time there. Birmingham is quite a cool city now.

Hairspray plays at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham from 14th December 2015 - 2nd January 2016. For more information, visit: http://www.hairsprayuktour.com/

Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz

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