HAIRSPRAY

Director: Julia Turner

Musical Director: Kirsty Skomski

Choreographer: Shanelle Borlase

Producer: Hamilton Musical Theatre

On Saturday night Hamilton Musical Theatre opened their sold-out season of Hairspray at Riverlea Theatre. Hairspray featured a passionate cast who delivered a memorable show to an appreciative audience.

Hannah Doherty (Tracy Turnblad) and Jack Turner (Link Larkin) were marvellous choices in the lead roles. Doherty delivered a convincing performance as optimistic Tracy who becomes a leader of change. Third-year Wintec musical theatre student Turner has continued to grow in confidence in recent years as a performer. Turner had some lovely heartfelt moments that embodied Link navigating the unfairness of racial segregation.

Greg Hack (Edna Turnblad) was a highlight. Hack is normally behind the scenes so it was a treat to see him onstage putting his own spin on the role made famous by John Travolta. Hack was hilarious as a harried mother with low self-esteem, and his timing while delivering pithy one-liners was impeccable.

The crew were kept well occupied throughout the performance with a revolving stage and various set pieces. There were a couple of moments where cast could have removed discarded props or assisted with set moves making the crew less conspicuous. If a stage is unable to go to a full lighting blackout during scene changes, crew should wear long sleeves.

It must have been a difficult decision to use pre-recorded tracks instead of a live band but the music was properly cued producing a seamless audience experience. Musical director Kirsty Skomski had many well-trained vocalists amongst the cast. Likewise, choreographer Shanelle Borlase had a talented group of dancers who executed her rousing and varied choreography with enthusiasm.

Hairspray marked Julia Turner’s first foray into directing an adult cast. She managed to fit a big show onto a small stage and made it look grand. The cast were well-rehearsed and capable of pulling focus on a stage while multiple vignettes were occurring.

All in all, the Hairspray cast, costumes, choreography, set, hair and makeup were fun, quirky and bright. The closing night performance is likely to be quite different from Saturday night as the cast and crew settle into the season and opening night nerves are long forgotten. Congratulations to HMT on the sold out season.

Photo: Kerry Blakeney-Williams