Full Cast Announced for West End 'Hairspray'

The premiere West End cast of the smash hit multi-award winning Broadway musical Hairspray has been announced.  Michael Ball will star as Edna Turnblad, Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad, LeAnne Jones as Tracy Turnblad and Ben James-Ellis as Link Larkin .  Hairspray open at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Tuesday October 30, following previews from October 11.

Hairspray will also feature Tracie Bennett as Velma Von Tussle, Natalie Best as Inez, Dermot Canavan as Male Authority Figure, Elinor Collett as Penny Pingleton, Johnnie Fiori as Motormouth Maybelle, Adrian Hansel as Seaweed, Paul Manuel as Corny Collins, Wendy Somerville as Female Authority Figure and Rachel Wooding as Amber Von Tussle.

Also in the cast are Gavin Alex, Fem Belling, Philip Catchpole, Lewis Davies, Helen Dixon, Emma Dodd, Tim Frater, Kate Gillespie, Ewan Gillies, Nicky Griffiths, Jenii Hicks, Holly James, Sandra Marvin, Terel Nugent, Michael Peters, Adam Price, Charlotte Riby, Dominic Shaw, Neil Toon, Michael Vinsen, Zara Warren and Jacqui Zvimba.

Hairspray has a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The musical is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters. The musical will be directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The scenic design is by David Rockwell, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the lighting by Kenneth Posner and the sound by Steve C. Kennedy. With orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and arrangements by Marc Shaiman, the musical direction is by Lon Hoyt. The West End production of Hairspray will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team. 

The film version of the musical Hairspray has just opened in London to rave reviews.

Performances times at the Shaftesbury Theatre will be Mondays to Saturdays at 7:30PM, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3PM. Tickets, priced from £20 - £60, are available from the Shaftesbury Theatre Box Office on 0207 379 5399 or by visiting www.hairspraythemusical.com.