Hairspray UK tour new casting announced
© Darren Bell
A new cast has been announced for the UK tour of Hairspray, which continues through until August 2018.
Raquel Jones (The Bodyguard) will take over the role of Lil' Inez, having played the part for two years in the West End. Shak Gabbidon-Williams will take over Seaweed in his professional stage debut, a part currently played by Layton Williams in the production. Dan Partridge (Mamma Mia!) takes over the role of Link Larkin from Edward Chitticks.
Graham MacDuff will now play the role of Wilbur Turnblad alongside Gemma Lawson as Amber Von Tussle and Rosie O'Hare now in the leading role of Tracy Turnblad.
In the WhatsOnStage review, writer Diane Parkes praised the show, with its "great songs, plenty of lively dances and lashings of humour".
Hairspray has music and lyrics from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan and is based on the 1988 film of the same name, which originally starred Ricki Lake and Divine.
It tells the story of teenager Tracy Turnblad who dreams of being the star of a TV dance show. Songs in the musical are "You Can't Stop The Beat", "Good Morning Baltimore" and "Big, Blonde and Beautiful".
