Photo Flash: Brian Conley Is 'Edna' In West End's HAIRSPRAY
By: Eddie Varley Jun. 19, 2009
As previously announced, the producers of "HAIRSPRAY" are delighted to welcome Brian Conley to the role of larger-than-life ‘Edna Turnblad' in the hit musical, currently playing at London's Shaftesbury Theatre. Brian is joined by Chloe Hart, taking over as big-haired big-hearted ‘Tracy Turnblad' and Liam Tamne as heart-throb ‘Link Larkin'.
Brian Conley is one of the UK's biggest entertainment stars with credits spanning musicals, television, film, comedy and variety. His career highlights include multiple series of "The Brian Conley Show" for ITV, regular appearances on "The Royal Variety Show", television comedies "The Grimleys" and "Time After Time" and lead roles in hit musicals "The Music Man", "Me & My Girl", "Jolson" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", as well as many sold-out comedy and music tours and pantomimes.
Commenting on joining the show, his transformation into ‘Edna Turnblad', and working with new stage husband Nigel Planer, Brian says:
"Nigel is one of my heroes and it's a professional highlight for me to kiss him not just once but twice a night (four times on Thursdays and Saturdays). I am looking forward to the role hugely but I'm not looking forward to the stubble rash. I've insisted that he shaves before every performance and moisturises. I've also been practising in my reinforced heels around the house, which upset the neighbours because I left the curtains open and usually I only dress up on a Wednesday. My only worry is that I now look like my mother!"
Newcomer Chloe Hart steps into the lead role of heroine ‘Tracy Turnblad', her first job straight out of Guildford School of Acting, and Liam Tamne joins the cast direct from the West End production of "Wicked".
Nigel Planer and former "Emmerdale" star Verity Rushworth, who play ‘Wilbur Turnblad' and ‘Penny Pingleton', also star in the production and will continue until this year.
The smash hit award-winning musical "HAIRSPRAY" at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London recouped its entire £3.5 million capitalisation in a record-breaking 29 weeks. The show opened on 30 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, ‘Best Actress in a Musical' for LeAnne Jones. The show has also won ‘Best Musical' at the Evening Standard Awards, the Whatsonstage.com awards, the Critics Circle Awards and the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.
The musical continues to break all box office records at the theatre and is now booking until April 2010.
"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" opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York in August 2002 to rave reviews and public acclaim. "HAIRSPRAY" subsequently swept the board at the 2003 Tony Awards, winning 8 including ‘Best Musical', the Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 including ‘Best Musical', and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning 5 including ‘Best Broadway Musical'. "HAIRSPRAY" also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Musical' and the Drama League Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production'. The show has also played two hugely successful US tours as well as seasons in Toronto and Las Vegas, and further afield in South Africa, Brazil and Scandinavia.
"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 - £62.50, are available from the Shaftesbury Theatre Box Office on 0207 379 5399 or by visiting www.hairspraythemusical.com.
Photo Credit: Hugo Glendinning
Brian Conley as himself and as 'Edna Turnblad'
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