Michael Ball Extends Run as Edna in West End 'Hairspray' thru Oct. 2008

Michael Ball has extended his run in the hugely popular role of 'Edna Turnblad' in the smash hit award-winning musical Hairspray by six months. He will now be starring in the role until Saturday 25 October 2008.

Hairspray co-stars Mel Smith as 'Wilbur Turnblad', LeAnne Jones as 'Tracy Turnblad' and Ben James-Ellis as 'Link Larkin'.  The show also features Tracie Bennett as 'Velma Von Tussle', Natalie Best as 'Inez', Dermot Canavan as 'Male Authority Figure', Elinor Collett as 'Penny Pingleton', Johnnie Fiori as 'Motormouth Maybelle', Adrian Hansel as 'Seaweed', Paul Manuel as 'Corny Collins', Wendy Somerville as 'Female Authority Figure' and Rachel Wooding as 'Amber Von Tussle'.  

The show opened in London on 30 October to universal critical acclaim and smash hit business, and has just 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.  

Hairspray has a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The musical is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters. The musical is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The scenic design is by David Rockwell, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the lighting by Kenneth Posner and the sound by Steve C. Kennedy. With orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and arrangements by Marc Shaiman, the musical direction is by Lon Hoyt. The West End production of Hairspray is staged by the entire original Broadway creative 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.