It has been announced that Brenda Edwards (We Will Rock You, West End; Loose Women, ITV) will co-direct a new production of Hairspray with Paul Kerryson, which will embark on a major national UK and Ireland tour in 2024.

Choreographed by Olivier Award winner Drew McOnie, the tour will open in Manchester at the Palace Theatre on 16 July 2024 and tour through to July 2025.

Open Auditions will be held in November 2023.

Following Manchester, this iconic musical comedy will visit Cardiff, Canterbury, Liverpool, Belfast, Milton Keynes Theatre, Southend, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Wimbledon, Nottingham, Newcastle, Hull, Bradford, Southampton, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. Further dates will be announced in due course.

Brenda Edwards said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be invited by the producers to make my directorial debut on the show as a co-director with Paul Kerryson. Hairspray, and this production in particular, has been such a huge part of my life. The show’s story and themes are as relevant as ever and I cannot wait to hold the open auditions to discover a new cast and work together to present a vibrant new production of this timeless musical for everyone to enjoy.”

Mark Shaiman (Composer/Co-Lyricist) said: “Brenda Edwards has been a part of the Hairspray family since she took on the role of “Motormouth” Maybelle in 2015 and hearing that she is co-directing the latest tour is music to my ears. The strength and soul that Brenda brings to both her performances and her life have already made me a fan and I hope a friend for life, and I can’t wait to see how she brings her personal perspective to our show. Brava Brenda!”

Completing the creative team are set and costume designer Takis, lighting designer Philip Gladwell, sound designer Ben Harrison, musical supervisor and arranger Ben Atkinson, musical director Richard Atkinson, projection designer George Reeve, and casting director Grindrod Burton.

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