FOR a musical with the central message that your appearance doesn't matter as long as you're a decent person – who can hopefully dance – Hairspray is a pretty good-looking show.

With day-glo sets that swing round to transform from bedrooms to street scenes to record shops and billboards that come to life and serenade the audience, there's plenty to tempt the eyes.

Nearly all the senses are catered for in a show that sets itself apart from the reams of average musicals being toured to a theatre near you most days of the week.

Scott Wittman's and Marc Shaiman's witty lyrics provide strong characterisation and the score, also by Shaiman, is catchy enough to have you singing it all the way home.

All that would be enough of an achievement for many people, but there is plenty more to Hairspray than singing and dancing.

Behind the nice as apple pie appearance of the Corny Collins Show – the 60s TV teen dance show that lead Tracy Turnblad (Dina Tree) is desperate to be a part of, despite her generous size – the battle lines are drawn.

White teenagers can take part in the show any day of the week, but black young people have to wait for the monthly "negro day".