The fat lady sang, but the show was far from over. Nor was the fat lady a fat lady. Michael Starke - Sinbad the window cleaner in Channel 4's Liverpool soap Brookside for 16 years - steals this stage musical version of John Waters's 1988 film as the hilarious pantomime dame, Edna Turnblad.
His duet with Les Dennis on an empty stage provides the highlight in this otherwise full-on production. The two of them croon Timeless
To Me, with Starke as the roly-poly mum of heroine Tracy, and Dennis as Tracy's dad Wilbur.
Starke cuts a truly mountainous figure, and Dennis affectionately helps himself to a few gratuitous handfuls as they smooch. Together they are the most unlikely a pair of dewy-eyed lovers, but for a few moments, a thing of curious and comic beauty is created.
And for the Jewish members of the audience, there was the bizarre bonus of a "Shabbat Shalom", from the lips of Dennis. "It's Jewish for kiss me again," he explains.
"I didn't know you were Jewish," responds Starke. "But you can always tell," he says naughtily, as Dennis presses her very close.
In musical terms, Hairspray, directed here by Jack O'Brien, is to the 1960s what Grease was to the 1950s. It is about discrimination against black people - and chubby girls. Set in Baltimore in 1962, it follows Tracy Turnblad (Laurie Scarth) in her fight against the segregation which prevents black and white kids dancing together on a TV show. She is plump - too plump to dance, or so says the tyrant Velma Von Tussle, producer of the Corny Collins TV show which gives (thin, white) kids a shot at fame. And so Tracy embarks on a musical quest for justice, love and the all-important crown as Miss Teenage Hairspray .
This is full-fat, everything-added, no-diet version, larger-than-life, 100 percent fun entertainment. Great if you are already familiar with the show; even better if you are not.
Scarth plays Tracy with bags of passion, but this starring role has little in the way of solos, which perhaps goes some way to explain why she is eclipsed by a pair of Scousers playing on their home ground.
Dennis, probably most famous for being dumped by Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, and Starke, taking the role played by John Travolta
in the 2007 film remake, give sensational performances which had the audience roaring.
There is, incidentally, a bit of wife swapping throughout the run of this touring production, with Michael Ball, Brian Conley and Phill Jupitus all having a go as Edna and Micky Dolenz and Nigel Planer switching as Wilbur.
Sandra Marvin deserves a mention for another "big lady" performance, as Motormouth Maybelle, a role she has brought with her from the West End, where the show is still packing them in.
As for the music, there are some belting numbers by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with You Can't Stop The Beat as the infectious finale and Good Morning Baltimore as two of the biggest of the big hits.
In Liverpool until September 4. Tour details at www.hairspraythetour.com