Kinky Boots kicks off in Leicester
Just last year we did our retrospective on 2005’s Kinky Boots movie - a film whose soul (sole?) hails from the Midlands area as a traditional boot manufacturing company are forced to diversify into saucy leather boots, wrapped within a heartwarming tale of acceptance.
And with our recent Instagram video on the same film our excitement to see this on stage was as high as the boots showcased in the production. Based on a real-life Northampton story, KInky Boots The Musical is now playing at the Curve theatre in Leicester and expores a culture clash is thrust upon a local man struggling with his family's legacy.
In this version of the Tony ® and Olivier ® award-winning musical, the star is Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe who plays a drag queen called Lola. Lola strides with sass into the life of Charlie (played by Dan Partridge), who is the put upon man that inherits a shoe-making business. As it struggles in a failing economy, Charlie considers broadening the company's, and his own, horizons by making leather boots for Lola.
The alternative lifestyle Lola leads and the naughty footwear the company starts to make is a shock to the factory-floor workers, but soon both Charlie and Lola discover many things in common as their lives come together.
The show begins quite low key as despite the opening number getting the audience going, the next 25 minutes underwhelmed with some songs delivered simply behind tables. However, that quickly changed and it was factory-set “Sex Is In The Heel”, where we hear what Lola desires in a boot, that the whole auditorium “kicked” up a notch.
And speaking of the music, it’s certainly a catchy set of songs - all written by 80s star Cyndi Lauper - which gives the show an instantly enjoyable set of hit pop songs - but each with their own personality. Yet it was the intimate “Not My Father’s Son” - contained within a scene where Charlie and Lola realise they have a lot in common living in their fathers’ shadows - that gained a collective gasp. The two leads deliver an emotional sequence that was touching and poignant and you could hear a pin drop. Until the huge round of applause that is.
Radebe has some *ahem* big shoes to fill with Chiwetel Ejiofor’s fantastic drag performance still in recent memory but is the star of the show throughout from cheeky asides to moments of deeply touching vulnerability. But let’s not forget Dan Partridge who has a particularly affecting speech of wrongly-placed passion that showed the actor’s range as his Charlie fails to deal with the pressure upon him.
In the second Act, the energy rolled over into an upbeat barnstormer of an intro. Here, the stage set - doubling as both factory, nightclub and people’s homes throughout - is turned into a brilliantly choreographed boxing ring scene. As the cast deliver "In This Corner", Lola is challenged by the stuck-in-their-ways factory workers but her message of acceptance eventually turns their opinions.
As the show reached its climax, the thumping "Raise You Up/Just Be" got the audience on their feet as the successful catwalk show allowed each cast member to shine. Nikolai Foster’s direction is strong with a great set placing us in Northampton (and Milan). And the costumes are suitably lush with drag queens’ flamboyance at the forefront of the designs.
A big shout out should also go to Courtney Bowman as Lauren whose character has a crush on Charlie. With a great voice and impeccable comedic talents, her supporting role was hugely entertaining every time she appeared on stage.
With comedy, sensitive sequences and a strong theme of overcoming adversity Kinky Boots looks set to be a surefire winner. And with a whole host of stomping pop songs the show is a rocking crowd-pleaser and a whole lot of fun to boot. The talented cast perform their hearts out with each upbeat and emotional number and if that all sounds right up your street then as the saying goes, if the heels fit, then wear it.
★★★★
4 / 5
Michael Sales
X @midlandsmovies
