Where to start when reviewing such a beloved musical theatre classic as Hairspray?

As someone who loves the movie musical but was new to seeing the stage production, I went into the show having a fairly strong idea of what to expect but knowing there would be some differences that I was really excited to see.

From the first beat of the bouncy opening number 'Good Morning Baltimore' I could easily tell this was going to be a wild ride of colour, bubble-gum fun and rocking music from the swinging 60s.

Packed with other beloved tunes including 'I Can Hear the Bells', 'Run and Tell That', 'Welcome to the 60s' and the emotionally charged 'I Know Where I've Been', and the crowd-pleasing finale 'You Can't Stop the Beat', this show truly captured the heart of 1960s America, packing a punch when it came to the more serious elements of the show without losing any of its sparkle and fun.

Hairspray was a toe-tapping audience........

© South Wales Argus