Having grown up in a shoe making town with my parent’s house overshadowed by a huge shoe factory that employed hundreds of people, I know about the demise of the British shoe making industry well and have long been a fan of the 2005 film ‘Kinky Boots’, so I have been itching for the musical version of Kinky Boots to travel across the pond since it opened in 2013.
Kinky Boots has a book by Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles) and songs written by Cyndi Lauper. It tells the story of a failing shoe factory in Northampton which is struggling to be competitive, when the proprietor dies and his son Charlie (Killian Donnelly) takes over the firm he needs to learn how to think outside the box to make the firm that has been in his family for generations survive.
With the help of one of his employees (Amy Lennox) and a drag queen named Lola (Matt Henry) he finds the perfect niche, making boots and shoes for the transvestite market that not only look dazzlingly spectacular but must have heels that can withstand the weight of a man.
Taking the shoe factory in this direction isn’t popular with all the employees though as they struggle to accept Lola, and in learning to accept him, guess what? – they learn to accept themselves.
Killian Donnelly (The Commitments, Memphis) leads the cast as Charlie Price, who has the task of not only saving the family name but the livelihood of his employees, Donnelly pitches the role just right and is a joy to watch as his character struggles with conflicting emotions and loyalties.
Amy Lennox was genius casting, she plays Charlie’s employee Lauren, who’s off-the-cuff comment changes the shape of the factory forever, her rendition of ‘The History of wrong Guys’ was a true comedy highlight of the show.
But oh my…..Matt Henry…..he struts his stuff better than any female I know. Henry plays the part of drag queen Lola to perfection hiding his vulnerable side with a showy persona; he had the audience roaring with laughter one minute and with a lump in their throat the next, holding the audience in the palm of his hand.
Overall the entire cast were sensational. Lauren Ross plays Charlie’s fiancé with the right amount of ego centricity. From the six drag queens that have you constantly grinning from ear to ear to the various employees of Price and son adjusting to their new clients, there was not a weak link.
Cyndi Lauper’s music and lyrics manage to encompass every emotion during the show, ‘I Am Not My Father’s Son’ pulled on the heartstrings and yet The Sex Is In The Heel’ and ‘Everybody Say Yeah’ are already on their way to becoming West End classics.
Jerry Mitchell who has directed and choreographed this joyous musical was also at the helm of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Legally Blonde amongst others is fast becoming the King of the feel-good musical, sugarcoating everything in his path ensuring that the audience has the best time possible and leave the theatre with a spring in their step and a smile on their face.
Lotus Shoes opposite my old house is long gone now replaced by a modern housing estate but Kinky Boots is going absolutely nowhere for the foreseeable future! Bravo.
5 sparkly stars
∗∗∗∗∗
Sammi O’Neill
I saw this production at a preview performance therefore it was subject to change before opening on the 15th September 2015 however I base this review on my humble opinion that to improve on this would be nigh-on impossible 😀
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