Kinky Boots - A Naughty Northampton Retrospective
“How far would you go to save the family business?”
Despite us championing the cause for over a decade now, Northampton sadly doesn’t have a long list of film credits or shooting locations to its name. IMDB lists some episodes of Dr. Who and sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. Although the home-town of comic book legend Alan Moore (Watchmen, From Hell) was used extensively in The Show - one film that the reluctant writer did put his name to (our review), they are still few and far between.
However, one movie in particular stands out as it not only fully embraces its location, it recounts the real-life story of an important part of the city’s history.
Even since Medieval times, Northampton has been the focus of British shoemaking. 250 firms in the county were registered in the 19th century alone, but unfortunately over time these slowly dwindled away.
And it’s here, where the 2005 movie Kinky Boots kicks off. The comedy drama was a sleeper hit starring (now Hollywood superstar) Joel Edgerton as Charlie Price, a factory owner who had to diversify his bland products to stay afloat.
The origins of the movie began when BBC show “Trouble at the Top” caught the eye of the filmmakers. The documentary featured Steve Pateman (renamed Charlie in the film) who was struggling with the possible closure of W.J. Brooks Ltd, a family-controlled factory in Earls Barton facing large redundancies.
The Golden Globe-nominated film shows how Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with drag queen Lola to try and save his business. Moving away from the formal dress shoes his shoe-making firm was known for, Charlie realises the potential of a new market to produce custom footwear for drag queens.
Cast
In the movie, the straight-laced Charlie is played by Australian actor Joel Edgerton, who despite his Ozzie-origins does a decent British (although not necessarily Northampton) accent in the film. Over time he’s become one of tinsel-town’s hottest properties, having featured in the Star Wars Saga, Black Mass with Johnny Depp and written, starred in and directed his own movie The Gift (2015) and co-wrote and starred in Netflix’s The King (2019).
Starring as the flamboyant drag queen Lola (Simon) is an almost unrecognisable - certainly when in drag - Chiwetel Ejiofor. Now a CBE, BAFTA and Laurence Olivier Award-winner and with nominations for an Academy Award and five Golden Globe Awards, the actor embraces an important role that explores difficult ideas and personal stories that are still pertinent today.
Despite there never being anyone resembling Lola in real-life (the part was dreamed up by the writers) the film parallels Simon’s story with Charlie’s life, seeing them as two sons who are failures in their respective father’s eyes. And despite this deviation from history, the movie tackles topics like prejudice and acceptance and Ejiofor should be proud of a role he made his own - bringing respect and dignity to what could have been a panto dame cliché.
A great support cast also assists the two leads with Sarah-Jane Potts as Lauren, Jemima Rooper as Nicola Marsden, Nick Frost as Don Burton and Linda Bassett as Melanie play just a few of the key roles amongst Charlie’s messy home and factory life.
Production
The film was directed by Julian Jarrold who went on to period dramas Becoming Jane (2007) and Brideshead Revisited (2008) before sadly leaving behind the working class tales to focus on A Royal Night Out (2015) and episodes of Netflix’s The Crown.
The director also added creative touches that seemingly echo The Wizard of Oz. The famous ruby slippers become leather and PVC thigh-high boots. And a scene showing brown brogues turning to burgundy (sorry, red) boots along a conveyor belt connotes not just the changing of time and attitudes, but alludes to the black and white Kansas home turning to bright Technicolor in the 1939 classic.
After saving Lola from a hateful attack, Charlie opens his eyes to see a fairy ornament in the style of Glinda (or fairy godmother). Also, gingham dresses/patterns can be seen on the factory workers' outfits and it could be argued that Charlie gains intelligence (a brain) and there's plenty of love (heart) shown within his metal-machined factory. Finally, Lola finds bravery along the Yellow Brick catwalk in the film’s finale at the ‘Emerald City’ of Milan in Italy. Charlie's cheating wife's infidelity is discovered in a Cinderella-style sequence with a lost shoe. Although the striped design of the shoe does remind me of a certain witch's socks. But maybe that's just me.
It’s also not lost on viewers that Lola’s name seems directly pulled from The Kinks’ song ‘Lola’ about an interaction between a young man and a possible cross-dresser or transgender person.
The film was written by Geoff Deane, once a member of electronic band Modern Romance who then became a scriptwriter and television producer. He wrote Kinky Boots and a year later also penned It's a Boy Girl Thing for Elton John's Rocket Pictures. Finally, co-writer, Tim Firth had already created Calendar Girls (2003), another story focused on the strength and perseverance of local communities.
Locations
Returning to the Midlands, many of the film's scenes were filmed in the factory used by another famous shoe-making company called Tricker's. The city centre's Market Square can be viewed in multiple scenes too and Wellingborough Station stands in for Northampton Station in the film.
The boots themselves were unique not just in design but were reinforced to hold a man’s weight and were released in a specialised range called Divine Footwear. Sadly with cheap imports and competitor copies of the boots, the factory did eventually close in 2000 but its lasting legacy lives on and some of the boots can be seen at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.
Music
The music too is a standout, although a bit on the nose at times, with "In These Shoes" by Kirsty MacColl, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown and Chiwetel Ejiofor himself singing “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” being just a handful of the hits featured. Such is the role music plays in the film, it was somewhat inevitable a stage musical adaptation was later developed.
Debuting on Broadway in 2013 with songs composed by Cyndi Lauper, the production was a huge success and went on to win six Tony Awards and can still be caught in the West End today.
Despite mixed reviews the film still has a deep place in many locals’ hearts, showing an important story despite playing safe with some of the cliches of the Britcom genre.
And as time has moved further on, what was once seen as outsider counter-culture is now Saturday night prime-time viewing for the UK. And maybe, just maybe, this little film hailing from Northampton (and the story it’s based upon) with its themes of acceptance and valuing difference helped that along a bit.
Michael Sales
