Manchester Midweek Kathryn Holliday

Why has Bill Kenwright decided to revive Hair? For it's 21st anniversary perhaps? (Has it come of age then!? No.. its still coming!)..... jump on the bandwagon ( 'Place..locations in our imagination') and let rip with some good ol' Radio 2 tunes- Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In, Good Morning Sunshine. Ah, memory lane. Hair, the rock musical, was produced immediaely after the abolition of the Lord Chamberlain's veto and censorship and was remarkably shocking at the time (today also, judging by the number of early exits). Thus lots of implied sex, swearing, and nudity.

The action revolves around a group of hippies and the arrival of Claude who has received his draft papers for Vietnam. Berger, Woof- great performance from Nigel Richards- and the others try to persuade him to burn his draft card in various ways, finally giving him acid which allows a thirty minute orgy of hallucination.

At times Hair is very successful, at others much, much less so. Hud , the 'coloured spade', for example, is too modern and cool for this truly period piece. And that is the vein this must be taken in- dont expect any real comment on Vietnam, just get those hot pants out, pull some beads on and expect the seeds proffered in the interval- as the lady next to me said: 'They might be hash!'

Mancheste Evening News Chris Wright

Hair awash with joyous energy.

Right from the moment when I was accosted by a hippy who told me he was 'picking up some positive vibrations' I knew that last night was not going to be an ordinary night at the theatre.

Hair, like Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar, is a musical requiring an amazing amount of enthusiasm and energy if it is going to be performed well.

This cast threw themselves into the production- and landed on their feet every time.

Brilliantly choreographed cast sequences complimented equally polished solo singers. The second act hallucination sequence is especially good.

Behind the action stands a huge, ironically placed Statue of Liberty, designed by Glen Willoughby.It is obvious that everyone concerned has worked really hard.

Watch out for Steve Tremblay as Berger, Leroy Charles as Hud and especially Nigel Richards, for the whom the part of Woof could have been written.