HAIRSPRAY Announces Touring Cast: Ball, Dennis, Conley And Starke All Feature

The producers of HAIRSPRAY are delighted to announce full, all star casting for the show that will embark on its first ever tour of the UK and Ireland this year. 
 
Olivier Award winner Michael Ball, who originated the role of larger than life heroine 'Edna Turnblad' in the London production, will open the tour at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on Wednesday 7 April 2010 (previews from 30 March), before dates across the UK. Popular entertainer Brian Conley and TV drama star Michael Starke will then alternate the role of 'Edna Turnblad' with Michael Ball throughout the tour*.  Versatile comedian and actor Les Dennis will play Edna's husband, loveable joke shop owner 'Wilbur Turnblad'. *Casting per venue detailed below.
 
Danny Bayne, who won ITV's Grease is the Word will play 'Corny Collins', winner of GMTV's Search for Troy in High School Musical 2 Liam Doyle will take on the role of 'Link Larkin' and Laurie Scarth will play 'Tracy Turnblad'. Other cast will include Sandra Marvin as 'Motormouth Maybelle', Gillian Kirkpatrick as 'Velma Von Tussle' and Wayne Robinson as 'Seaweed', Emma Dukes as 'Penny Pingleton', Clare Hulse as 'Amber Von Tussle' and Seliza Sebastian as 'Little Inez'.
 
Michael Ball is Britain's leading musical theatre star and a multi-platinum selling recording artist.  With his top rated BBC Radio 2 show, Michael Ball's Sunday Brunch, and his regular concert tours Michael has won critical acclaim and the hearts of a fiercely loyal public.  He has starred in productions on both sides of the Atlantic including The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Aspects of Love, Passion, The Woman in White and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and made his debut with the New York City Opera in 2005 in Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience.  Michael has presented a number of his own high profile television shows including his Michael Ball Christmas Special, An Evening With Michael Ball and he is a regular guest presenter of ITV1's This Morning and BBC1's Lottery shows. The tour also marks the first stage of a closer working relationship between the star and producers Stage Entertainment.  This will involve developing new work and roles both onstage and in a production capacity for Michael in the future.  Plans include a major musical revival in 2011.
 
Brian Conley is one of the UK's biggest entertainment stars with credits spanning musicals, television, film, comedy and variety.  Career highlights include multiple series of The Brian Conley Show for ITV, regular appearances at The Royal Variety Show, television comedies The Grimleys and Time After Time and lead roles in hit musicals The Music Man, Me & My Girl, Jolson and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as well as many sold out comedy and music tours and pantomimes.
 
Liverpool born actor Michael Starke is best known for his role as 'Thomas "Sinbad" Sweeney' in popular soap Brookside, which he played for 16 years.  He was also a series regular playing 'Kenneth Hopkirk' in Sunday night ITV1 drama The Royal.  From 2007 to 2008, Michael starred in ITV1's Coronation Street as kebab shop owner 'Jerry Morton'.  Previous stage credits include The Play What I Wrote, Anything Goes, The Rocky Horror Show, Hamlet and numerous pantomime appearances.
 
Les Dennis is acknowledged as one of Britain's most popular entertainers, his career spanning television, radio, film, stage and the written word.  Rising to fame on the comedy circuit Les soon found television success on comedy and variety shows as well as a hugely successful run as a game show host on Family Fortunes.  He has starred in many stage productions from sell out pantomimes to plays by Shakespeare, Priestley and Ackbourn and on screen his guest star credits include New Street Law, The Bill, Holby City and Extras. As a leading man in musical theatre he has starred in Me & My Girl, Chicago and recently in the West End, Eurobeat. Les is currently starring as 'Mr Fulton' in the UK tour of Disney's High School Musical 2 Live on Stage.  In 2008 he published his critically acclaimed memoirs, Must The Show Go On?
 
Its 1962, the 50s are out and change is in the air.  Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion - dancing.  She wins a spot on the local TV dance programme, The Corny Collins Show and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity.  But can a trendsetting hair-hopper like Tracy get her massively shy Mom out of the apartment, beat evil Amber to be crowned Miss Hairspray, integrate Corny's show for good AND win the heart of local heartthrob Link Larkin, all without denting her 'do?  If anyone can, Tracy can!
 
The smash hit award-winning musical HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London recouped its entire capitalisation in a record-breaking 29 weeks. The show opened in October 2007 to universal critical acclaim and smash hit business. At the 2008 Olivier Awards, HAIRSPRAY won Best Musical, as well as Best Actor in a Musical for Michael Ball.  The show has also won Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards, the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice awards, the Critics' Circle Awards and the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.  Further afield the show has played at venues around the world and won more than 40 major theatre awards.
 
The current London production will close at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Sunday 28 March 2010.
 
Official website www.hairspraythemusical.com
 
For further information contact Tim Leist or Lewis Jenkins at Stage Entertainment on 020 7025 6970 or tim.leist@stage-entertainment.uk.com / lewis.jenkins@stage-entertainment.uk.com
 
2010 UK AND IRELAND TOUR SCHEDULE
 
30 MARCH - 24 APRIL
WALES MILLENIUM CENTRE - Michael Ball and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue                            
08700 40 2000
www.wmc.org.uk
 
28 APRIL - 8 MAY
GLASGOW CLYDE AUDITORIUM - Michael Ball and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue                    
0844 395 4000
www.secc.co.uk
 
11 MAY - 29 MAY                                       
SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER - Michael Ball and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue
02380 711811
www.mayflower.org.uk
 
1 JUNE - 19 JUNE                                        
WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE - Brian Conley and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue           
01902 42 92 12
www.grandtheatre.info
 
22 JUNE - 3 JULY
LEEDS GRAND THEATRE - Brian Conley will be playing at this venue        
0844 848 2706
www.leedsgrandtheatre.com
        
13 JULY - 31 JULY                                        
MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE - Michael Ball will be playing at this venue 
0844 847 2495
www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk
 
3 AUGUST - 14 AUGUST
PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL - Brian Conley and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue                         
01752 267222
www.theatreroyal.com
 
17 AUGUST - 4 SEPTEMBER
LIVERPOOL EMPIRE THEATRE - Michael Starke and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue          
0844 847 2525
www.liverpoolempire.org.uk
 
7 SEPTEMBER - 18 SEPTEMBER
SUNDERLAND EMPIRE - Michael Starke and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue                               
0844 847 24 99
www.sunderlandempire.org.uk
 
20 SEPTEMBER - 9 OCTOBER
MILTON KEYNES THEATRE - Brian Conley and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue                  
0844 871 7652
www.miltonkeynestheatre.com
 
12 OCTOBER - 23 OCTOBER
OXFORD NEW THEATRE - Brian Conley and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue                                
0844 847 1585
www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk
 
25 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER
BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME - Brian Conley and Les Dennis will be playing at this venue
0844 338 5000
www.birminghamhippodrome.com
 
15 NOVEMBER - 27 NOVEMBER
DUBLIN GRAND CANAL THEATRE - Michael Starke will be playing at this venue
0818 719 377
www.grandcanaltheatre.ie
 
30 NOVEMBER - 11 DECEMBER
BRADFORD ALHAMBRA - Michael Starke will be playing at this venue     
01274 432 000
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
 
14 DECEMBER - 9 JANUARY
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE - Michael Ball will be playing at this venue
0844 847 1660
www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk