Hairspray - Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company

Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company took to the stage last night in an exuberant production of Hairspray. From the offset the energy was relentless, with beaming faces, enthusiastic dancing and a stage packed full of excitement. The audience were instantly drawn into the world of Tracy Turnblad the larger than life character which was capably portrayed by Kitty Roberts. It seemed at times that she may have been unwell last night, which made her performance all the more impressive as she belted through her numbers with considerable ease. Her characterisation of the bubbly Tracy was charming and she really did capture the innocence of one girl who wants to change the world – and eat breakfast.

Complementing her performance was Chelsea Greathead as the geeky, awkward sidekick Penny. Her impeccable acting made her character laugh-out-loud funny, with pinpoint comic timing to boot. The pairing of Mark Skett and Tony Orbell as Edna and Wilbur was simply divine. Skett's Edna thrilled from the outset and managed to really make his own mark on the character, whilst Orbell's Wilbur was utterly endearing with a particular highlight being their performance of You’re Timeless to Me.

Anil Patel was suitably suave as Seaweed, with impressive moves and a voice to match; whilst Sally Jane Adams's screechy Amber was rightfully irritating, with cheesiness aplenty from Adam Coultard as Link Larkin. Good vocals came from Helen Gilfoyle as Velma Von Tussell and Patrick Jervis was a perfect fit as Corny Collins, but the standout of the night was Marsha Webbe as Motormouth Maybelle. Her voice was stunning and it was abundantly clear that she drew the audience into her rendition of I Know Where I’ve Been – she delivered an absolutely riveting performance that was both touching and powerful.

The stage was bursting with colour throughout, with a mightily impressive set which was navigated well by the whole cast. The entire piece felt slick due to the great direction, music and choreography from the team of Sally Baxter, Sheila Pearson and Maggie Jackson.

A good night out, which is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.