It's big, bold and beautiful and it's back on tour. 

Award-winning musical Hairspray returns to Mayflower Theatre this week, starring Strictly Come Dancing's Joanne Clifton as Velma Von Tussle and with X Factor and Loose Women star Brenda Edwards making her directorial debut. 

Join big hearted Tracy Turnblad and her new friends the spirited Seaweed and his sister Little Inez, heartthrob Link Larkin and the resolute Motormouth Maybelle as they strive to change the world. 

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Hairspray has wowed audiences in the West End and on Broadway and still packs a punch with its message of tolerance and the fight against racial discrimination.

Brenda Edwards, who has wowed audiences in the show as Motormouth Maybelle on two previous UK tours, is switching to directorial duties this time around. 

She told the Daily Echo: "Because I've been behind the scenes and on the stage performing in this great musical, I have another way of looking at it. I'm not going to be changing the central story, because it's fantastic, but I’ll be investigating and developing it a bit more and getting people to think about it maybe in a slightly different way. 

"Hairspray is about championing the underdog. A young girl, Tracy Turnblad, has big dreams and wants to be famous. She wants to be liked, she wants to be loved, she wants to get the boy! She is judged by some people for how she looks. Unfortunately, it is still very relevant to the world we're living in today where you're dealing with racial tension, discrimination and people just not being able to be themselves. Everybody has a dream, and everybody should be able to pursue that dream."

(Image: Ellie Kurttz) Hairspray took Broadway by storm, winning eight Tony awards. The production went on to win 4 Olivier awards in the West End, and multiple awards worldwide. 

Featuring some of musical theatre’s biggest hit songs, Welcome to the 60s, You Can’t Stop the Beat, Good Morning Baltimore and many more, it's a joyous musical for all. 

Hairspray runs until Saturday. Tickets from mayflower.org.uk or call 023 8071 1811.