The multi-award-winning musical Hairspray has announced extended UK and Ireland tour dates for 2027-28, along with the confirmation of Katie Brace as Tracy Turnblad. An open audition for key roles will take place in London in October.

Hairspray, the musical based on the 1988 film, is set to tour numerous theatres across the UK and Ireland from July 2027 through April 2028. The production, directed by Brenda Edwards and Paul Kerryson with choreography by Drew McOnie, will open at the Manchester Palace Theatre on 2 July 2027.

Katie Brace will reprise the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, while Neil Hurst returns as Edna Turnblad. The story centres on Tracy’s ambition to join a nationally televised dance show and challenge racial segregation in 1960s Baltimore.

The score includes well-known songs such as “Welcome to the 60s”, “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat”. The book is by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman.

The creative team also features set and costume design by Takis, lighting design by Philip Gladwell, and sound design by Ben Harrison. Musical supervision and arrangements are by Ben Atkinson, with musical direction by Richard Atkinson. Casting is managed by Grindrod Burton.

An open audition for several roles—including Motormouth Maybelle, Seaweed, Little Inez, and the Dynamites—is scheduled for 26 October in London. Interested actors aged 18 and over must submit a CV and headshot by 23 October via email.

The tour itinerary includes major venues such as Glasgow Kings Theatre, Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre, and the Bristol Hippodrome, with confirmed dates extending into early 2028. Newly added stops include Norwich Theatre Royal, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Produced by Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale, and Laurence Myers, this tour marks the second outing of this version of Hairspray, promising to bring its message of inclusion and infectious energy to a wide audience across the region.