The producers of "HAIRSPRAY" are delighted to announce that Nigel Planer and Verity Rushworth are to join the cast of the multi-award winning musical, beginning on Monday 2 February. Nigel takes over the role of ‘Wilbur Turnblad', husband of larger than life ‘Edna' played by Michael Ball. Verity will play ‘Penny Pingleton', best friend of ‘Tracy Turnblad' played by Leanne Jones.
Nigel Planer is one of the UK's most prolific comedy actors with credits including ‘The Comic Strip Presents...', ‘The Young Ones', ‘Shine On Harvey Moon', ‘Blackadder' and ‘Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic'. His numerous West End credits include ‘Chicago', ‘The Rocky Horror Show' and ‘Wicked'.
Verity joined the cast of ‘Emmerdale' in the role of Donna Windsor-Dingle at the age of 12, and has gone on to become one of the show's best loved characters. She leaves the programme onscreen at the end of January 2009. She also appeared in the 2007 season of ITV's ‘Soapstar Superstar'.
Current and original lead performers Michael Ball, Leanne Jones and Ben James-Ellis have all extended their contracts to remain with the show and will now perform until Saturday 25 July 2009. The role of ‘Edna Turnblad' is the longest continuing part that Michael has ever played in the West End. 
The smash hit award-winning musical "HAIRSPRAY" at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London recouped its entire £3.5 million capitalisation in a record-breaking 29 weeks. The show opened on 30 October 2007 to universal critical acclaim and smash hit business. At the 2008 Olivier Awards, "HAIRSPRAY" won ‘Best Musical', as well as ‘Best Actor in a Musical' for Michael Ball, ‘Best Actress in a Musical' for Leanne Jones. The show has also won ‘Best Musical' at the Evening Standard Awards, the Whatsonstage.com awards, the Critics Circle Awards and the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.
Adam Spiegel, from UK producers Stage Entertainment, sad in a statement, "Hairspray goes from strength to strength and I am so pleased to welcome Nigel and Verity to the family. With these two supremely talented actors joining our cast, added to the news that Michael, Leanne and Ben are all staying with the show, we hope that the Shaftesbury Theatre will remain the place to be for West End audiences throughout 2009."
The musical continues to break all box office records at the theatre and is now booking until October 2009.
"HAIRSPRAY" is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment with Margo Lion, The Baruch/Viertel/Routh/Frankel Group and New Line Cinema in association with others from the Broadway producing team.
"HAIRSPRAY" opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York in August 2002 to rave reviews and public acclaim. "HAIRSPRAY" subsequently swept the board at the 2003 Tony Awards, winning 8 including ‘Best Musical', the Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 including ‘Best Musical', and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning 5 including ‘Best Broadway Musical'. "HAIRSPRAY" also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Musical' and the Drama League Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production'. The show has also played two hugely successful US tours as well as seasons in Toronto and Las Vegas, and further afield in South Africa, Brazil and Scandinavia.
"HAIRSPRAY" has a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The musical is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters. The musical is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The scenic design is by David Rockwell, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the lighting by Kenneth Posner and the sound by Steve C. Kennedy. With orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and arrangements by Marc Shaiman, the musical direction is by Lon Hoyt. The West End production of "HAIRSPRAY" is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team.
Performances times at the Shaftesbury Theatre are Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm.
