News

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes on the Hairspray the Musical UK Tour? We recently caught up with the wardrobe team to discover costume disasters, quick changes and what it’s like working on all of Hairspray’s fabulous costumes!

 

Head of Wardrobe: Ruby Makin

Wardrobe Deputy: Gemma Fox

Wardrobe Assistant: Shevonne Harper

Dresser: Stella May-Heron

 

Q. How many Costumes are there in Hairspray the Musical? 
A. Over 250 in total

Q. What’s the quickest change during the show?
A. Dex Lee who plays Seaweed, after the Dodgeball scene and into his big number Run And Tell That, has only 20 seconds to completely change his costumes!

Q. What’s the best thing about working in the wardrobe department?
A. Being such a close knit team, being able to always rely on each other…and the laughs.

Q. What are the daily challenges?
A. Always being prepared for rips, broken zips, understudies being put on at the last minute.

Q. Have there been any costume disasters? How did you resolve them?
A. The male ensemble trousers sometimes split because they dance so full out as Drew McOnie’s choreography demands. We always need to have a needle and thread to hand.

Q. How long does it take you to dress Edna Turnblad?
A. 20 minutes to get everything on.

Q. When you’re not at the theatre, how do you relax/ what do you do in your spare time?
A. Cinema, gym, cycling and exploring the city we are in, socialising with the company.

Take a look at our News section for more behind the scenes features, interviews and 1960’s posts.