Hairspray tour brings back leads and adds dates with open casting call
Neil Hurst and Katie Brace will lead Hairspray back on the road across the UK and Ireland next summer.
Hurst will reprise the role of Edna Turnblad. Brace will reprise the role of Tracy Turnblad. To reprise means they have played the parts before and will return to them. The tour opens at Manchester Palace Theatre from 2 July to 19 July 2027.
The production is directed by Brenda Edwards and Paul Kerryson, with choreography by Drew McOnie, as reported by WhatsOnStage. Edwards first co-directed Hairspray with Kerryson for the 2024/25 UK and Ireland tour. That job was her directorial debut.
Producers are also holding an open audition in London on Monday 26 October. An open audition means performers can apply directly, without going through an agent. This call is for Motormouth Maybelle, Seaweed, Little Inez, the Dynamites and the Motormouth Kids, for performers aged 18 and over.
Anyone hoping to be seen must send a CV and headshot by Friday 23 October. No agent needed. Places on the day are limited to those invited after submission, so early applications matter.
The newly confirmed dates for 2028 pick up after Christmas. The show plays Norwich Theatre Royal from 17 to 22 January, Swansea Arena from 25 to 29 January, and Nottingham Theatre Royal from 31 January to 5 February.
It then visits Southampton Mayflower Theatre from 14 to 19 February, Hall for Cornwall in Truro from 28 February to 4 March, and Everyman Theatre Cheltenham from 6 to 11 March. The run continues at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre from 13 to 18 March and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 27 March to 1 April 2028.
The list announced so far covers England and Wales, alongside the Manchester opener. A tour means the same production travels from venue to venue, with week-long stops in each city. The full route across the UK and Ireland has still to be set out.
The tour is produced by Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale and Laurence Myers.
What makes this stand out is the mix of returners and newcomers. Hurst and Brace give audiences familiar faces at the centre of the company. The London open call opens the door to fresh faces around them, with a deadline only three days after the announcement on 20 October 2026. For fans, this means time to plan. The Manchester opening is nine months away, and the 2028 dates stretch the route into spring.
