The award-winning musical extravaganza of Hairspray is back and just beginning a big, bold and beautiful UK tour. Its whirlwind of addictive tunes and zestful choreography meet a meaningful yet humourous script, filled with young Tracy Turnblad's dreams and fights for social justice.
Widely experienced amongst various arts avenues, Neil Hurst's latest endeavour is the renowned role of Edna Turnblad, conveying her vibrant ways. Through answering the following questions, he has shared a wonderful insight into his character.
What are you most looking forward to about performing in Hairspray?
The most enjoyable thing about performing in Hairspray has to be the reaction the show gets night after night from our fantastic audiences. I genuinely think that it is impossible to stay in your seat and not get up to dance when the band kicks in the finale of ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’. I also LOVE working with our fantastic cast and crew - every day I say loud and proud… ‘Aren’t we lucky’.
How are you putting your own spin on the interpretation of such an iconic role while
maintaining her original spirit, and which elements of her character do you find most
compelling?
I am loving playing Edna and enjoying putting my own spin on this iconic role. I am a huge fan of the original 1988 movie that the musical is based on so I like to lovingly 'borrow’ expressions and inflexions from Divine, the actor who played Edna Turnblad. I am also a massive Michael Ball fan so every now and again I throw in my best Michael Ball singing voice as a nod to his brilliant portrayal of this part.
Given that societal views on some themes have shifted, how does the production translate to be enjoyed by contemporary audiences?
In one of the very first lines in the show, we say the word ‘coloured’, which originally really made me feel uneasy but once we got the show on the road I realised that the placement of this word, said in such a derogatory way, was vital for making the audience feel uneasy too and setting up the time, place and abominable attitudes of 1962 Baltimore. We have to say these words and approach these sensitive topics in period theatre to remind us of how life was for people and as much as we think we’ve moved on, how some of these attitudes still permeate society today. In a line from a song written especially for the musical movie “We’ve come so far, but we’ve got so far to go”.
What extra technical considerations do you have when performing a character in drag?
It's funny because even though I’m dressed head to toe as a woman, I personally don’t actually consider Edna a drag role or even a pantomime dame-style character. As an actor, I simply play her as a woman, a wife and a mother… I only lean into the ‘I’m really a man’ for one line where I drop my voice as low as possible, but otherwise she’s just Edna.
Having said that, I have learned so much about being a woman in these past few weeks… high heels? Why do you ladies wear these crippling evil things, my feet have never hurt so much and I’m pretty sure I’ve not had any feeling in my toes for a good month now. Bra straps are so annoying too, they’re forever slipping down!!! Before Hairspray I was playing Dave in The Full Monty UK Tour so I’m used to these new sensations, in this show it's Bras and High Heels… in Monty it was Thongs. I’ve come to the conclusion that ‘it’s tough being a girl’.
How do you aim to balance comedy with humanity to create a rounded persona for Edna, and her chemistry with others?
I kind of touched on this with another answer but in creating a rounded persona for Edna is to play the truth of the script - this is something I try to do with any role I take on. I play her as a woman, wife and mother, not as a man in a frock. For me, I think it's important to play any of the comedy moments as real moments that just so happen to be funny. The script is so well written that you don’t have to go over-egging to get the laughs, everything you need is in the book.
How do the high-energy performance and music capture the essence of your character?
Being surrounded by our incredible, energetic and obscenely talented cast really rubs off on you and the energy they create absorbs the entire company. This always goes on to help me bring the energy and excitement of Edna in various moments in the show.
Having had a plethora of TV and writing credits too, what draws you to the stage as a medium?
I love appearing on TV and writing different projects but nothing beats being on stage. I guess I’m always drawn to it because it's LIVE. I can say something and get a reaction instantly, on screen you’re just playing to a director, a cameraman and a camera - they don’t laugh very loud. Having said that, it's pretty cool seeing yourself on a cinema screen haha!
What are some of your proudest achievements throughout your career?
It’s going to sound corny but my proudest achievements through my career have to be balancing acting, singing and dancing alongside my most important role - being a Husband and a Dad. So many people in show business struggle to hold down meaningful relationships while always on the road but I’m approaching twenty years with my amazing wife and I am the proudest Dad in the country.
Such a lovely end to a fantastic interview! Huge thanks to Neil - it's been an absolute pleasure to hear from you and I can't wait to catch the show next week, near the beginning of what I'm sure will be a great tour.
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