KINKY BOOTS

The arrival of the musical Kinky Boots seems way overdue, even more so than perhaps its arrival in Northampton where it is based. But with the city by the sea becoming the spiritual home of drag, this musical treat sits well in the stately grandeur of our much loved Theatre Royal. And what a turn out for the first night, a massive audience, an audience of all ages from teens to… well to like myself and beyond. It struck me immediately that the hugely youthful audience does have an appetite for live theatre and if it is a piece of musical theatre like this then lets’s have more.

Kinky Boots is based on a true story, a BBC2 documentary about a man who saved the family shoe business from going under by switching from brogues to fetish footwear.

The 2005 film was a huge success, so much so that it captured the imagination of American theatre creatives and by 2012 Harvey Fierstein had written the book and Cyndi Lauper the songs for a new musical that would take Broadway and then the West End by storm. Who would have thought that a simple tale of brogues and bankruptcy could go so far.

But it has and last night in Brighton it was obvious why – this is well crafted theatre with a heart of gold and songs that you come away singing, not something I often say about new musicals. Fierstein’s script is a delight, filled with humour yes, but with a strong message about acceptance, masculinity and love. Drag queen Lola is thrown into a world far away from sequins and feathers, a world where men are MEN, and women are actually for the most part tired of that toxic masculinity.

The cast for this poignant confection are sharp as a knife and once again how great it is to see a company made up of talented performers of all shapes, sizes and ages and not some troop of slinky and dinky newcomers pretending to be something they are not. And to a person this cast can sing, dance and act, no matter what is required of them. For example Charlie’s father Mr Price played by Jonathan Dryden Taylor returns after his first characters death in a totally new and rather wonderful guise.

There are plenty of notable performances here, Scott Paige as George is marvellous and what a beautiful voice the man has. Joe Caffrey captures well the character Don, clearly homophobic at the start but a homophobia which so commonly is borne from a lack of knowledge. Courtney Bowman plays Lauren with a delicate humour and perfectly portrays her character’s lack of self belief. She has some of the best numbers in the show and performs them with both power and heart, really first class.

Courtney Bowman

Mention too for Robert Jones whose fabulous and flamboyant costumes sit beautifully on his hyper real and grime worn factory set, rhinestones and reality side by side.

Dan Partridge

At the core of the story we have Charlie and Lola, Charlie thrown into a world of shoes that he has no desire to be a part of. A chance encounter with drag queen Lola pitches them into a fight for the survival of the Price shoe brand and creates a bond of friendship that crosses their very different lives. Dan Partridge is charmingly believable as the reluctant factory owner, there is a fragility to the role that he captures, that sense of being way out of his depth in both work and love carefully portrayed here, and again, a fantastic singing voice, albeit with some American inflection in delivery, not rare I have to say in musical theatre especially when the product has come by way of the US of A.

Newtion Matthews

Lola is a huge role to undertake and has over the years been delivered by some big names. And currently the role is being shared by two performers. One a huge star with a a massive TV  presence and loyal following. Here in Brighton we have been gifted the extraordinary talent that is Newtion Matthews. Newtion doesn’t come with the media bells and whistles of his alternate performer – and for me that is a very good thing indeed. I wasn’t there to see a name, I was there to see a show and a character and this he does with tremendous energy and talent. He looks simply amazing, there is a bold masculinity about his Lola, not effeminate but darkly camp, a gentle giant of a man in a frock. And when it comes to those songs, Lauper at her best, he commits to them, a huge and soulful voice, rich and treacle like when required and booming and powerful when needed.

The entire company, too many to name all, lend strength to this moral tale about acceptance and finding your place in a world riddled with prejudices, a world we all though was getting better, those prejudices left behind. But sadly those hatreds are once again rearing their ugly heads making this perhaps more poignant and politically charged and relevant than when it first hit the stage.

Andrew Kay

25 March

Theatre Royal Brighton

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