London Hairspray cast to perform on Britain's Got Talent

Hairspray revival cast to perform live on Britain's Got Talent next week

Main cast members from the West End revival of Hairspray will appear on Britain's Got Talent as guest performers on Saturday, 27 September from 8pm, it has been confirmed. The live performance will give audiences a taste of what's to come as the musical gears up for its 19-week run at the London Coliseum from 22 April 2021.

Michael Ball reprises his highly acclaimed role as Edna Turnblad, a character made famous by Divine in the 1988 John Waters original and by John Travolta in the 2007 musical film. Ball will be joined onstage by Paul Merton in his West End debut as Wilbur Turnblad alongside Lizzie Bea as Tracy Turnblad, Marisha Wallace as Motormouth Maybelle, Rita Simons as Velma Von Tussle, and Jonny Amies as Link Larkin.

Like many cultural events this year, series 14 of Britain's Got Talent was also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme had pre-recorded auditions up until March before the lockdown, but the remainder of the series was put on hold. The show has now been split into two parts with the second-half now ongoing. Semi-finals are now pre-recorded in what marks a series first. Due to sustaining a back injury, Simon Cowell has been replaced by Ashley Banjo.

The guest performance of the Hairspray cast will take place during the season's Semi-Final 4.

Hairspray musical production history

Hairspray The Musical is based on the John Waters flick of the same name, a non-musical film that starred Ricki Lake and the late Divine. The musical first opened on Broadway in 2002, taking home a total of eight Tony Awards. In 2008, it transferred to London's West End where it won four Oliver Awards, including Best New Musical. It features such toe-tapping numbers as "Big, Blonde and Beautiful", "Good Morning Baltimore", and "You Can't Stop the Beat".

Hairspray London Coliseum creative team

The musical is directed by Jack O'Brien and features a book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell, choreography by Jerry Mitchell, costume design by William Ivey Long, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, set design by David Rockwell, and casting direction by Jill Green.

Hairspray West End theatre tickets available now from £21 and up!

Hairspray is set to run from 22 April 2021 until 28 August 2021 with many of the best tickets still available! Don't miss your chance to see the long-awaited return of Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad this Spring! Book your London Hairspray tickets today to secure the best seats at the London Coliseum at the best prices whilst availability lasts!