Ian Talbot to Join 'Hairspray' UK on Jan.28

Ian Talbot will star as 'Wilbur Turnblad' in the smash hit award-winning musical Hairspray from Monday 28 January. He will join Michael Ball as 'Edna Turnblad', LeAnne Jones as 'Tracy Turnblad' and Ben James-Ellis as 'Link Larkin', who will all continue to star in the show until Saturday 25 October 2008. 

Ian Talbot, who ran the New Shakespeare Company at the Open Air Theatre Regent's Park until last year, has performed frequently in the West End and at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His television includes "As Time Goes By," "Heartbeat," "Poirot" and "Midsomer Murders." He directed over twenty productions at Regent's Park, and also starred in several of them.He was awarded an OBE in this year's New Years Honours list.

Hairspray has already, with only a hundred performances under its belt at the Shaftesbury Theatre, taken over £10 million in the West End. The musical continues to break all box office records at the theatre and is now booking until 4 April 2009.

The show opened in London on 30 October to universal critical acclaim and smash hit business, and won the Evening Standard Award for 'Best Musical'. Hairspray is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment with Margo Lion, The Baruch/Viertel/Routh/Frankel Group and New Line Cinema in association with others from the Broadway producing team.

Performances times at the Shaftesbury Theatre are Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm. Tickets, priced from £22.50 - £60, are available from the Shaftesbury Theatre Box Office on 0207 379 5399 or by visiting www.hairspraythemusical.com.

Ian Talbot