BATH Operatic and Dramatic Society is set to perform the hit musical comedy, Hairspray at the Theatre Royal Bath this month.

In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, change is in the air. Hairspray tells the story of plus-size Tracy Turnblad, a girl with big hair, an even bigger heart and a passion for dancing. As Tracy sets out to follow her extraordinary dreams, inspire her mother, Edna, and win the heart of the boy she loves, Link Larkin, it seems the odds are stacked against her. But after winning the chance to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local television dance programme, Tracy finds herself transformed from outsider to celebrity overnight. Using her newfound fame to tackle the TV show’s racial segregation, she strives for integration and true love with a smile on her face, a spring in her step and a song in her heart – ensuring at all times that not a hair is out of place.

Hairspray won eight Tony Awards when it opened as a musical on Broadway in 2002. The 2007 London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Olivier Awards, winning the Best New Musical Award as well as three other Olivier Awards. Following the musical’s phenomenal success on stage, a film of the musical was released in 2007 which starred John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and James Marsden.

Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society’s (BODS) staging of Hairspray is presented by a 47-strong company of local talent, aged from 14 to 52 years. The cast members hail from Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Hairspray is on at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday, February 24 to Saturday, February 28. Visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk for more details.