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You Can't Stop the Beat with Hairspray
Entertainers Brian Conley and Les Dennis make the oddest couple in award-winning musical at Milton Keynes Theatre.
LES Dennis is getting used to changing wives almost as regularly as he changes his socks. He's signed up for the national tour of the theatre blockbuster Hairspray playing practical joker dad, Wilbur Turnblad.
But he's sharing marital bliss with a selection of "leading ladies" ranging from Brian Conley – who's playing Milton Keynes Theatre later this month – to Michael Ball and Michael Starke who all look stunning in a range of outlandish frocks and wigs.
The 57-year-old entertainer is loving every minute of it. We met up, along with Brian, at MKT ahead of its arrival at the venue on September 20.
Hairspray is the ultimate feel-good family musical. It started life as a movie in 1988, made its stage debut in America 14 years later, was remade as a film starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walkern and Zac Efron in 2007 and returned to the stage to world-wide acclaim the same year.
In London it ran for more than 1,000 performances and was seen by over a million people, taking 50m at the box office. It has also won every award going.
The story is rooted in early 1960s Baltimore when plump and wholesome Tracy Turnblad has dreams of dancing on a top trendy TV programme with her dreamboat hero Link Larkin.
And while the story bounces along with great songs and super-sized performances there's also a strong moral back story dealing with prejudice and discrimination.
I remember Les' TV impersonations of great characters like Corrie's Mavis Wilton and initially thought the slightly built performer would be stepping into the plus-sized shoes of Edna, Wilbur's shy and under-confident wife.
"There are two roles that are gifts for comic actors – Wilbur and his wife Edna, and maybe at some point I'd love to play Edna but Wilbur is a great role.
"He's a really fantastic character, a really optimistic guy. He runs a joke shop and still believes that one day he'll have a chain of joke shops around the world so he always believes in his dream
"Edna, at the start of the story, has gained weight, is agrophobic, hasn't been out of the house for 20 years, and feels that if her daughter, Tracy goes on TV, because of her large size, she'll be laughed at.
"But Wilbur is the driving force behind the family. He loves his wife, he loves his daughter and he pushes Tracy and Edna into reinventing themselves so it's a great part to play.
"When I was doing panto with Henry Winkler (The Fonz) last Christmas I mentioned that I was hoping to play Wilbur and he said :'He loves his wife, he loves his daughter, what's not to love about Wilbur?'
"Wilbur and Edna are the ultimate odd couple.
"You can come in with the weight of the world on your shoulders having had a bad day and you will go out with those shoulders lifted. You will be walking on air.
"Hairspray is a thought-provoking show about integration, a time of segregation and Tracy's pioneering fight to integrate in 1960s America, a message kids should see, as well as well as it being about a talent show, which kids will identify with today.
"There's a great message but there's also the most brilliant music and a great and funny story."
Les launched the tour in Cardiff with Michael Ball as Edna and over the past months the Ednas have changed faces along with the Wilburs. The Monkees' Mickey Dolenz and Britain's Nigel Planer has shared with Les the role of Wilbur.
Les had the summer off to film a new children's game show for the BBC but returned to Wilbur last month.
This Christmas he becomes one of the luckiest guys in panto when he returns to his home town of Liverpool to star in Aladdin with Hollywood sex siren Pamela Anderson.
*Don't tell his friends and family but fellow entertainer Brian Conley rather enjoys wearing a dress and has become a dab hand at ironing.
Throughout his long career on screen and stage (which started at the age of 12 in stage school) the singer, actor, game-show host and comedian has never been one to hold back and is game for anything, from stripping off to donning falsies and high heels.
And as Edna Turnblad he gets to wear some eye-wateringly bright Crimplene gowns.
"It's weird that I'm playing a woman but that's what nice, that's what makes it funny, and the fact that I have such a deep voice.
"I was inspired by Harvey Fierstein, who played it originally on Broadway.
"I watched Michael (Ball) and went to see the West End show purely as a fan and then later they asked me to audition.
"The show's first two scenes are very much the audience getting used to seeing a bloke on stage dressed as a fat woman, and you get a big laugh when you first come out, but then everyone forgets that I'm a man.
"They say that if a large woman was playing Edna then some of the things I'm saying and doing would be too cruel. The fact that it is a man gives the character a whole new dimension and it adds to the comedy.
"Wilbur and I do kiss. Everyone's laughing because they know it's two blokes. It's alright. I could never do it if I wasn't in costume.
"My very first Wilbur was Nigel Planer and I originally said that I would mime that bit during rehearsals but now I'll do it with anybody. It gets such a reaction, it's worth every penny.
"Edna is very protective of Tracy. She thinks she'll be ridiculed if she goes on this TV show. She gradually becomes part of Tracy's journey.
"I initially look pretty grotesque, not much make-up, a real dodgy wig, in an awful nylon dress with these carpet slippers doing the ironing.
"I've become pretty good at ironing. I never thought I'd be good at ironing! I've never ironed. I had to ask our cleaner for advice because my wife can't do it!
"I've never had a problem with the dresses. The shoes are all handmade and reinforced. The shoes and tights are flown in from America. I must admit I do hate the tights.
"The worse part is getting it all off at the end of the night. The make-up is caked on.
"My kids love it. They even wear t-shirts that say:'My Dad's Edna!' It caused a bit of a stir at their school when they said their dad dresses as a woman but it's alright now."
Hairspray runs at Milton Keynes Theatre from September 20 until October 9.
For tickets contact the box office 0844 871 7652 or go online www.ambassadortickets.com/miltonkeynes
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