Brenda Edwards first won the nation's hearts on The X Factor before dazzling audiences with her powerhouse vocals in hit musicals like Chicago, We Will Rock You and Sister Act.

Having previously starred as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray, she now steps into a new spotlight – as the show's director.

Set in 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray is a joyous, high-energy production filled with unforgettable music, fabulous choreography and an inspiring message of diversity and inclusion.

Here Brenda speaks about the show and its enduring appeal.

Q: What is Hairspray the Musical about?

A: Hairspray is about championing the underdog. A young girl, Tracy Turnblad, has big dreams and wants to be famous. She wants to be liked, she wants to be loved, she wants to get the boy! She is judged by some people for how she looks. Unfortunately, it is still relevant to the world we're living in today where you're dealing with racial tension, discrimination and people just not being able to be themselves. Everybody has a dream, and everybody should be able to pursue that dream.

Q: Tell us about Tracy, the main character.

A: Tracy is naive in a lot of ways in that she doesn't understand why things are segregated. She thinks everybody should be integrated. It's beautiful the way she ends up pulling two communities in 1962 Baltimore together against all odds. It's a story that talks about racial discrimination, but it doesn't shove it down your throat. It's not a preachy musical. And all of the songs in Hairspray are wonderful, you really do leave joyful. I just want audiences to leave feeling inspired by Tracy. As one tagline says, she is a young girl with a big personality and even bigger hair. I think a lot of adults could learn a lot from Tracy Turnblad.

Q: In this show you're making your debut as a director. What made you want to switch from performing?

A: The producers approached me, and because I've been behind the scenes and on the stage performing in this great musical, I have another way of looking at it. Our producer says it's like seeing it with a different lens through my eyes. I'm not going to be changing the central story, because it's fantastic, but I’ll be investigating and developing it a bit more and getting people to think about it maybe in a slightly different way. It's about exploring how times were in 1962 Baltimore. I'm working with Paul Kerryson, who directed Hairspray for all the productions that I've been in and he's wonderful. I'm looking forward to learning from him.

Q: Does the in-depth knowledge from being an actor in this show help you now as a director?

A: Yes, being backstage in a show, you get to see the (organised!) mayhem that that goes on. When we come on stage it looks like this finished article. But I can appreciate all the running up and down that goes on behind the scenes and I want to try to find ways of making it easier for all the performers and for wigs, wardrobe and make up. It's about letting the performers know that we're all part of a team: the backstage crew and production, we're all there to work together.

Q: Hairspray the Musical was created more than 20 years ago and is set in 1962. How is its examination of racial discrimination in the 1960s relevant in 2024?

A: One of the things I want to do is bring somebody in to talk to the cast about what it was like in those times versus now, and to explore what similarities there are still. Hairspray addresses the story of something that really happened in 1962: the TV channel was there but black people were not allowed to be on television. It's crazy. I think it's important for people to not feel scared to talk about discrimination, whether that be sexual discrimination or racial discrimination. It's a topic that I think needs to be spoken about more than it is. But not everybody understands or necessarily knows the right way to say things nowadays. I think there is maybe a nervousness about discussing it as points and opinions can be so instantly judged and that can be frightening. I was born in 1969 and I saw racial discrimination myself back then, and unfortunately, I still see it today. And it saddens me every time. But the one thing that I that I do is stand up for myself. And that's again, what this story is about, Tracy standing up for herself and what she believes in. And she's just trying to get everybody else to believe, just as she does, that everybody can exist together.

Q: Velma Von Tussle is a difficult character and embodies the racism that flared up in the USA in the 1960s in response to the Civil Rights Movement. Do you think she ever learns anything or changes her attitudes in this story?

A: Well, I want to explore that because she is very difficult, and even Amber, her daughter, towards the end, is like: “Mum, just leave it. Why don't you just go along with it (integration)?” And you've also got poor Corney Colins saying: “Come on, Velma, this is the way it's going, you might as well just be ahead of the trend.” I want to show the two sides of Velma, the bigoted side of her that is just her way or no way, but also her vulnerability. The thing with Velma, she kind of hates everybody. It's not just a racial thing. I think she's just had a really bad life which I'd like to explore. There is always one person that is against change and moving for the good and that person is Velma. There’s also the question of nature or nurture, with somebody like her daughter Amber, she's picked up her mother's ways. But I'd like to be able to show that even though it's too late for her mother, maybe, Amber can grow?

Q: Do you have a favourite song or number in the show?

A: I love “Big, Blonde and Beautiful” because it's a fun song and it goes through so many different levels, so many different gears. By the time I used to finish that, I was absolutely knackered! “I Know Where I've Been” I think is my favourite song to sing in the show because of the message and what it's about. And you can't top “You Can’t Stop the Beat”, it’s a fabulous song. A real feel-good song. Everybody's up on their feet, dancing, singing, clapping, and it's just a barrel of joy and excitement and passion.

Q: What do you want audiences to take away from Hairspray the Musical?

A: Life is short. So come and spread the joy of bringing everybody together as one happy community. Forget your troubles for one night and come along and have some fun with Hairspray.

Hairspray the Musical is at the New Victoria Theatre from Monday, 31 March to Saturday, 5 April. Performances are 7.30pm Monday to Saturday with 2.30pm performances on Wednesday and Saturday.

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com