Welcome to the ‘Age of Aquarius’. It’s 1967 and HAIR’s hippie ‘tribe’ youngsters in the East Village of New York are yearning to change the world, questioning authority and the American flag. Wild, colourful, sexually liberated and free, they are united in protest and song, under the shadow of the Vietnam War.
Leading the cast in this revolutionary, award-winning musical is Dancing on Ice’s 2018 champion Jake Quickenden as Berger, Hollyoaks’ Daisy Wood-Davis as Sheila and X Factor 2011 finalist Marcus Collins as Hud.
The cast is completed by Alison Arnopp, Tom Bales, Louise Francis, Natalie Green, David Heywood, Bradley Judge, Aiesha Pease, Laura Sillett, Spin, Kelly Sweeney and Paul Wilkins.
Hair, which is adored for its Grammy award-winning score featuring iconic hits such as ‘Aquarius’, ‘Let the Sun Shine In’, ‘I Got Life’ and‘Good Morning Starshine’ is written by Gerome Ragni (book and lyrics), James Rado (book and lyrics) and Galt MacDermot (music).
The iconic production arrived at the Edinburgh Playhouse last night as part of a UK journey of peace and love to mark the musical’s 50th anniversary.
Hair was a sensation when it first hit the stage in 1967 at a time when The Vietnam War polarised opinion in the United States and this latest production perfectly recaptures the hope and dope of the US counter-culture of the 1960s; the acid freaks, the drop-outs and the dreamers.
A talented cast transports the audience back to the time when American youth found it’s voice through mass demonstrations, protest songs, ‘happenings’ and love-ins. While their leaders sent young men to wage war in faraway places, the younger generation preached peace and love.
Make Love Not War was the message, and Hair’s memorable songs including Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine and I Got Life, capture the era so well. These songs were perfectly delivered and the vocal performances throughout the show were very impressive.
There was a frenetic energy about the award-winning show that swept the audience along and the anger, anguish and confusion of the younger generation about events over which they have no control was movingly portrayed.
Just as the Vietnam War divided opinion across the United States, Hair will remain forever controversial and, with scenes of nudity (tastefully done here) and references to sex, drugs and blasphemy – songs include ‘Sodomy’ and ‘Hashish’ – the show won’t be to everyone’s taste, but fans of the musical will love this 50th anniversary production.
As a look back to those hippy, trippy days and the domestic turmoil brought about by the Vietnam War, Hair could be seen as a slice of history. But the show’s powerful anti-war message remains as relevant today as it was fifty years ago and themes like poverty, the environment, race and gender discrimination are still very much with us.
As the ensemble was warming up for last night’s performance, environmental campaigners were blockading main roads in Edinburgh to protest over government inaction on climate change. And over in the United States, rhetoric against Iran is being ratcheted up with the distinct possibility of military escalation …
As Pete Seeger said: when will we ever learn?
Hair runs until Saturday (22nd June).
Pictures: Johan Persson
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