Starting your first job is a nerve wracking experience for most people so imagine how Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby feels. For on Tuesday, Alex will step on to the stage of Manchester’s Palace Theatre for the premier of the hit musical Hairspray in which she plays the leading role of Tracy Turnblad. Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby “It’s my first professional contract and you think that if you’re lucky you might get an ensemble role with a show like this,” she said.
“It just feels like I’ve gone straight in at the deep end. It really shouldn’t happen like this but I'm so grateful that it has. “I love this show; it was the first show my mum took me to see in the West End when I was eight so it feels as though everything has come full circle.
” As Tracy, Alex is at the heart of the production. Her character dreams of dancing her way on to a national TV show and winning the heart of teen idol Link Larkin. But she must overcome prejudice and bigotry in many forms along the way.
This all-new production is based on the 1988 film which starred Divine and Ricki Lake as Tracy. The stage musical has played on Broadway and in the West End picking up numerous awards along the way. The new production stars Neil Hurst as Edna Turnblad and is being co-directed by Brenda Edwards who previously toured in the show.
The show strikes an unusual balance by being a fun rock and roll musical while tackling issues such as racism and body image head on. “That’s what I love about it,” said.
