Hairspray Casting Update

NEWS RELEASE
29/01/10

HAIRSPRAY - BIG LAUGHS, BIG TOUR, BIG STARS....

**CASTING UPDATE**

MICHAEL STARKE TO STAR AS ‘EDNA TURNBLAD’

Michael Starke will take on the role of larger than life heroine ‘Edna Turnblad’ for its run at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford for 2 weeks only from 30 November to 11 December 2010.  Michael joins the cast as Edna at venues where Phill Jupitus was previously announced which also include the Liverpool Empire and Sunderland Empire.  Due to scheduling difficulties Phill Jupitus is no longer able to play these dates. 

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.

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’.

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.

HAIRSPRAY runs at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre from Tuesday 30 November to Saturday 11 December 2010.  To take advantage of our special BOOK NOW, PAY JULY 2010 scheme, call the Box Office for full information (not available online).  Or there’s the EARLY BOOKING OFFER where you can book and pay before 28 February 2010 and get up to £5 off !

Tickets can be booked on 01274 432000 or online via bradford-theatres.co.uk (booking fees apply). 

Visit our Hairspray page

Official website www.hairspraythemusical.com

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