You can't stop the beat! Hairspray has been on my list of shows to do since Oliver finished. The rumour was that Hairspray was going to be the next RARE show in St Albans after Oliver!, but for some reason, that didn't happen and a different show took its place.
It's always been highly regarded as being a very popular show, which to my knowledge, lots of young people want to be in and really like. When I heard that RARE Productions were doing Hairspray in Welwyn Garden City, I jumped at the chance. Because I had to, and also I knew that the opportunity would probably never come around again if I didn't. And a part of me just wanted to try for the fun of it.
I spoke to my mum about it before the audition, because I would sometimes consult her about the odd thing or two in conversation, she's not the best tool in the box but she can sometimes give me some sound advice. She encouraged me to go for it because I'd be doing something which is out of my comfort zone and I'd be excelling myself and my talents to new heights, challenging myself and just overall doing something which is different and off the wall. I don't think you can find many shows out there today which are so unique and are so off the wall and out there, I can name three off the top of my head with Hairspray being one of them.
I auditioned back in January, and the audition as I can remember it was really fun and really quick, but also I saw large groups of people there as well so I felt slightly intimidated by the competition, and got slightly concerned about whether you think you're going to be good enough or wonder whether they'll pick someone instead of you. You get butterflies in your stomach of both excitement and feeling anxious, but I was also very optimistic. I did the audition and got a letter back offering me a part and I felt very lucky to have been chosen as one of the main cast.
It was only after I got cast that I watched the film. I was probably one of those people who is part of such a tiny minority in the world who didn't know anything about Hairspray. I didn't know the story or the characters or any of it. So that of course, meant I had to watch the film and get a better understanding towards all of that. I watched the 2007 film starring John Travolta as Edna which I really quite enjoyed. I liked the story, I understood the message which it was trying to get across and I also found the songs very uplifting, catchy and memorable. Once I had done that I had a much better understanding at the hand of what the story was about and the characters in it who they were and what they did in the story, the message it was trying to get across. So all that was helpful and made me give a better performance on my part I suppose.
I originally auditioned for Edna because I thought that that would be the ideal part for me to play, and I am quite partial to dressing up in drag. I'm a bit skinny but I could pass off as being a diva, I reckon I could've been very good in that role. I flourish in over exaggerated roles such as that. Instead, I got Wilbur whom when I got the offered the part I thought, "Who's that?" so I looked him up because I didn't know who he was. Once I got the understanding behind who this character was and what he did, I went back and watched the film again and saw how Christopher Walken who played Wilbur in the film presented himself and that as a guideline was useful to me when it came up to doing the rehearsals.
I had a lot of influences from other things which went into how I perceived the character of Wilbur and it took me time to understand what I wanted to do with him. I looked at things like Robin Williams because he's quite a wondrously eccentric personality, he's big and bold and very out there like I am in a way, I also looked at Sylvester McCoy's seventh doctor - season twenty-four when his doctor was more of a silly clown and mischievous, the great Patrick Troughton who was very whimsical, so those three were my main influences which went into how I developed and thought about the characterisation behind Wilbur.
We rehearsed in Stanbrough on Sunday mornings, there would be some weeks where we wouldn't rehearse so it wasn't consistently every week, it would be ten rehearsals leading up to the show. Rehearsal time is mainly my most enjoyable part of doing any play or show, because, without rehearsal, there is nothing basically, no time for you to develop your character and see what his or her attributes are, where do you fit into this show, what can you do to make your character stand out from the rest.
Things like that which come with experience of doing shows and questions you ask yourself for you to think about because at the end of the day playing any part the overall goal is for you to do the best you possibly can and to give the best possible performance. In terms of work, this was very part and parcel, I'd go away from rehearsals thinking 'didn't really do much today, could have done more on this' and I would work on it in my own time during the week, just little things which I felt could've gone better and so when it came to the next rehearsal I would have perfected it and been given new things to work on. The lines were not that difficult to learn, I spent more time on learning my song because a song is much easier to learn in your head than lines because you've got a tune to follow, with lines it's just a question of going over them enough times until they stick in your brain.
Once we got to doing the actual show, I must admit I loved doing the show more than rehearsing it. The set looked brilliant, the props were authentic, Thursday was an absolute buzz of excitement because I just went for it and for me and how I felt in myself it was the best out of the four shows that I performed. I was good on the other shows as well, but for me, Thursday was the best I did, Saturday Afternoon was the weakest and Friday and Saturday night were average.
The costume I was a little disappointed about. I was so excited to seeing what the design was going to be, and I got presented with this green checked shirt, grey trousers, and novelty skinny tie, now to me that seemed a bit bland for a character who I always thought was very out there and eccentric and bold, but it turns out the designer thought that he just needed a casual look to him. When I first saw it I didn't like it, and it was only after I got settled into it that I actually thought 'you know what? no one else is complaining about their outfits, I don't mind it if that's what's comfortable and I'm going to get anything else so I like it now it's fine'. Plus anything I added to it like a tie or a bow tie didn't go with it. I was just a bit disappointed that I waited for so long with much anticipation to be presented with something so casually bland, the colour combinations I just didn't feel matched someone who I thought was so zany and full of life, surely you'd present a part of your personality through your clothes or choice of dress, but It wasn't up to me so I couldn't possibly comment on that front, I just got what I was given and that was the end of it.
But I did do my own little editions like wear my own glasses and I grew a moustache. It was an irritating thing and it didn't suit me at all, but it was something which made me feel like my character, I'd put that costume on and I'd be Wilbur. It was quite fascinating. I could take him out now, in his mind set, I could probably take him out now and spend the day with him looking through his eyes, I'd know what he would eat, I'd know what he would choose, I'd know how he would travel, I'd know everything about him. I must admit when we came to the end of the show, I thought to myself that I'm going to miss Wilbur because in those four shows I felt quite attached to him. I never felt so attached to a character before to get under his skin and really feel like this person and as I say, I'd put the costume one, do my hair and the glasses would complete the outfit, and there you go, I would be my character.
Looking back on it in a reflective round about sort of way, I feel I have come a long way, worked incredibly hard and managed to pull off what was a larger than life, upbeat, feel good show which in itself was an incredible achievement. It's not easy to induce all that energy and be so lively all of the time, you get tired easily and it wears you out. I'm glad that I didn't buckle under the pressure and kept it together. Although towards the end you just get so sick of Hairspray you'd wish you'd never have to it again. I'm joking of course.
I am also so happy and delighted that I had such wonderful, loving support in my friends and family who came to see the show. It's been lovely to go on stage knowing their in the audience cheering me on. It's made feel good about myself for the first time in a long time and it's boosted my confidence a bit.
I've always wanted to play a nice character, that opportunity came with Wilbur who was a bit off the wall but deep down was a family man who loved his family and would always look out for them and see that Edna and Tracy were well looked after, always looking out for their best interests. I feel like I've made a new friend.
I'd just like to thank everyone at RARE Productions for their hospitality and for allowing me to come into my own with the part I got, and it's overall been a very enjoyable and worth while experience which I will take forward with me into the future.
