PREPARE to be transported back in time to the racially-divided United States of the early 1960s in Wantage Junior Showstoppers’ production of the musical Hairspray.

The year is 1962, the place is Baltimore and Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion — to dance.

She wins a spot on the local television dance programme, The Corny Collins Show, based on the real-life Buddby Deane Show, and overnight is transformed from an outsider into an irrepressible teenage celebrity.

But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the programme's reigning princess, win the heart of heart-throb Link Larkin and integrate the TV show without denting her ‘do’?

Following their productions of Bugsy Malone and Summer Showcase, the Showstoppers will perform Hairspray at King Alfred’s Specialist Sports College’s centre site in Portway, Wantage, from Thursday to Saturday, July 14 to 16, at 7.30pm, with a 2pm Saturday matinée. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and ‘downtown’ rhythm and blues.

Musical director Michael Hurd said: “A lot of people will have seen the recent film version starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer. As soon as we found out that it was available for us to perform, we had absolutely no second thoughts about putting it on. It’s full of great songs, such as Good Morning Baltimore, Welcome to the 60’s, and You Can’t Stop the Beat, and will not fail to entertain. The cast have really enjoyed rehearsing the show and can’t wait to perform it to their audience.”

The lead role of Tracy is shared by Abbie Kerr and Georgina Hasler. Other shared roles see Adna played by Gwylm Temple and Charlie Thorpe; Wilbur by Sam Cornick and Aaron Hadley; Link by Ali Rennie and Ethan Collins; Penny by Zoe Cornick and Luccia Rennie; and Amber by Emily Young and Natasha Laybourne.

Other roles include: Penny’s mother, Natasha Pride; Velma, Whitney Cooper; Seaweed, Shakur Gabbidon-Williams; Little Inez, Kasey Butler and Charmaine Peters; Motormouth, Tia Denton and Cydney Gabbidon; Corny Collins, Lewis Shaw and Josh Kerr; and Mr Spritizer and Mr Pinky, Thomas Legg.

The show is directed by Moira Hasler, who is also responsible for the choreography, assisted by Charlotte Hasler. The director’s assistant is Donna Blake and the costumes are by Dee Gabbidon-Williams, assisted by Alison Dyre.

The show’s chorus and dancers include Charlotte Hasler, Meg Thorpe, Loren Heredge, Lauren Layborne, Rachael Jones, Amy Blake, Paris Adham, Sarah Gerard and Shanalee Gabbidon-Williams.

Tickets, at £10 adults and £8 children, are available from Music Gallery in Wantage, Brett's chemist in Grove, by calling 01235 767509 or by ordering online at www.WantageStageMusical.co.uk/Junior Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman, and a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, which was based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray.