Words by Rachel Nurse
Let the sunshine in Cardiff: live through the late 60ÔÇÖs with Hair the musical
A product of the hippie counterculture and sexual revolution, Hair is the rock musical to see. After a sell-out run in London Hair is touring the UK on a voyage to bring back love and peace. For some the musical will be nostalgia, for others a revelation, but everyone will experience a memorable and jolly original musical.
Hair tells the tale of a tribe who live a bohemian lifestyle in New York City. Important subject matters such as war, politics, sex and identity. Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have managed to have done, or whether to resistant the pressures of conservative America and his parents to serve in the Vietnam war, compromising his pacifist principles and risking his life.
The legendary song ÔÇÿAquariusÔÇÖ opened the show to illustrated what was to come when watching Hair. Hair is more than solely an album of unbelievable songs. The songs come from a controversial mythical stage show which alone transformed the scene of musical theatre, giving promotion to the rock opera.
The show stars Jake Quickerden (Dancing on Ice Winner) and Daisy Wood-Davos (Hollyoaks/ Dreamboats & Petticoats) alongside Marcus Collins (X Factor Finalist/ Kinky Boots). Be prepared to see some cheeky nudity! Quickerden in a flash flashes his bum to the audience within a matter of seconds of the showÔÇÖs opening/.Wild, sexually liberated and free the youngsters strip bare before the interlude. The actors used a blue sheet to represent the death of the Vietnam soldiers, the freedom the tribe desire and an individualÔÇÖs uncertainty- usual while high as a kite. The set was decked in hippie chic tents, throw cushions and a lot of flowers.
The music gave me goosebumps, especially finishing with Let the Sunshine in.Audience participation at the end of the musical was fantastic! The actors welcomed the audience on the stage to release their inner hippie. Everyone on stage was booging, (IÔÇÖm a bit jealous to be honest) and was having an incredible time. What a marvellous way to finish the show!
While the style and political references bring the theatre back to the late 60s. The themes of liberty, social freedom and non-conformity resound as profoundly in this current time as they did half a century ago. The beautiful message that big changes begin with small steps is one that inspires us all. A movement for the greater good starts with one person or a few who share the same ideology. Hair teaches us stand up for what you believe in regardless if your government, parents or friends disagree with you- as long as youÔÇÖre not hurting anyone else in the progress.
The musical is running from the Monday 15th– Saturday 20th of April so there is full of time to get your tickets. There is shows during the evening and two matinee performances on Thursday and Saturday. I encourage for you to dress up if thatÔÇÖs your sort of thing, many members of the audience were dressed in the most fashionable hippie attire I have ever seen!