Hairspray is directed and executive produced by Tiaan Kirsten-Lubbe and Lian Sachse, the duo behind Scenario Productions’ previous productions of Cabaret in 2024 and Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2025.
Luigia Casaleggio serves as musical director, while Pinto Ferreira is responsible for choreography. Ashleigh Hilton leads set and costume design, with Kirsten-Lubbe also handling lighting design and Kieran Pritchard serving as sound engineer.
This collaboration is important because Hairspray depends on several elements working together. The music must carry the emotion, the choreography must communicate the excitement of a television dance show, and the visual world must transport audiences to 1960s Baltimore.
The production’s creative ambition is clear: to give South African audiences the colour, movement and theatrical scale associated with Broadway while allowing local performers to make the story their own.
A landmark return to South African stages
There is another reason this production deserves attention.
According to Scenario Productions, this is the first professional South African staging of Hairspray since 2007. Its return, nearly two decades later, gives theatre lovers an opportunity to experience a celebrated musical that many may know through its film adaptations or recordings rather than a professional local stage production.
The original Broadway musical opened in 2002 and became a major success, winning eight Tony Awards in 2003, including Best Musical. Its popularity rests on a winning combination of comedy, memorable songs and a story that challenges social exclusion without losing its sense of fun.
The musical was written by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. It is based on the film written and directed by John Waters.
The Centurion production brings this internationally recognised work back into the local theatrical conversation with a South African cast and creative team.
That is worth celebrating. Live theatre gives familiar stories a new immediacy. Every performance happens in the present, with performers and audiences sharing the same space and the same moment. There is no pause button, no retake and no screen separating the audience from the action.
When the cast gets it right, that connection is part of the magic.
Why Hairspray still matters
The story unfolds in the United States during the 1960s, against a backdrop of racial segregation and the civil rights struggle. Tracy’s determination to dance alongside performers who have been excluded from the television show becomes a challenge to the prejudices of the world around her.
But the musical also explores body image, teenage identity, family relationships and the courage required to stand up for one’s beliefs.
Tracy is not a conventional revolutionary. She is a teenager who wants to dance. Yet her refusal to accept the rules simply because they exist creates the conditions for change.
That is an important distinction. Change does not always begin with someone who sets out to change the world. Sometimes it begins with a person who recognises that something is unfair and refuses to pretend otherwise.
For South African audiences, a story about institutionalised racial exclusion inevitably invites reflection. Although the historical settings and circumstances differ, the questions surrounding discrimination, representation and equal opportunity remain meaningful.
The musical does not ask audiences to abandon joy in order to confront difficult subjects. Instead, it uses joy to bring people into the conversation.
That combination is one of its greatest strengths.
Our experience: spectacular performances and vocals worth hearing
Watching Hairspray at Die Centurion Teater on Saturday, 24 October, was a reminder of why we continue to make time for live performances.
What stood out for us was the passion on stage. The performers appeared connected to their characters, and that commitment helped bring the story to life. The vocals were impressive, the energy was infectious, and the production offered the kind of theatrical experience that rewards audiences who want more than a night of passive entertainment.
There is something particularly satisfying about watching a cast commit fully to a production. When the performers understand the characters they are portraying, the comedy becomes more natural, the emotional moments become more affecting, and the musical numbers feel like part of the story rather than interruptions to it.
That sense of commitment was a defining part of our experience.
We left with a clear appreciation for the cast’s work and the collective effort required to bring a production like this to the stage.
And while Hairspray is packed with spectacle, it is the combination of performance and purpose that makes it memorable. The entertainment draws you in; the message gives you something to take home.
Should you book a ticket?
If you enjoy musical theatre, strong vocals, lively choreography and stories that leave you feeling uplifted, Hairspray deserves a place on your calendar.
It is also an opportunity to support South African performers and a local creative team bringing a major international musical to audiences in Centurion.
The production is scheduled to run until 7 November 2026 at Die Centurion Teater, 123 Amkor Road, Lyttelton Manor, Centurion. Tickets are available through Quicket, with the official listing advertising prices from R300; check the booking page for the latest prices, performance dates and availability.
Book your tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/361171-hairspray-the-broadway-musical-die-centurion-teater/#/
Our recommendation is simple: go for the music, the dancing and the spectacle, but stay for the message.
Because the best musicals do more than entertain. They remind us of the things we share, the barriers we still need to challenge and the possibilities that open up when we make room for one another.
Hairspray is colourful, funny, energetic and full of heart. The cast brings the story to life with passion, and the vocals make the experience all the more rewarding.
Missing this production would mean missing an opportunity to experience a vibrant piece of musical theatre while it is right here on our doorstep.
And honestly? That would be a sin.
TheVibeZA verdict: A spectacular celebration of talent, individuality and inclusion. If you have been looking for a reason to experience live theatre, consider this your sign. Get your friends, plan a theatre date and let Hairspray remind you that there is room for everyone on the dance floor.
