Kinky Boots the Musical at Leicester's Curve Theatre is truly joyful
With the original book written by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, this fresh new UK tour of Kinky Boots is one to watch. Expertly directed by the Curve’s own Nikolai Foster, it is full of joy and positivity.
The musical celebrates themes of acceptance and diversity whilst exploring the voyage to self-discovery. Kinky Boots tells the true story of Charlie Price – who inherits his father’s shoe factory in Northampton.
The business is failing and Charlie needs to act fast, otherwise he will end up having to face the prospect of laying the staff off. But that all changes when Charlie Price meets Lola – a drag queen who is in need of red (not burgundy!) stiletto boots.
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Charlie, with the help of Lola, who he enlists as his designer, has the idea of creating a brand new line of footwear for a very niche market. Heartfelt scenes follow, ending in an uplifting finale where Lola and the drag queen Angels end up strutting their stuff at a fashion show in Milan.
Dan Partridge plays Charlie Price admirably. His character builds as we see him go from being dominated by his girlfriend to running the factory. Both Lola and Charlie have similar experiences growing up, with them being made to feel like they weren't living up to their father’s expectations. The duet ‘I’m not my father’s son’ was particularly poignant in this respect.
The real powerhouse in this production is Strictly Come Dancing's Johanannes Radebe as Lola who just oozes talent. An experienced professional Latin dancer, he is mesmerising to watch on stage.
The choreography by Leah Hill in this musical is just sublime. The scenes with Lola and the flamboyant drag queen Angels are just incredible to watch.
Factory worker Lauren played by Courtney Bowman also plays a stellar role as the girl who has a crush on Charlie. Her rendition of The History of Wrong Guys was just wonderful - and hilarious - to watch.
The set by Robert Jones and lighting by Ben Cracknell is just incredible, transforming from the drab shoe factory to the bright lights of the Milan catwalk and everything in between was ingenious.
Kinky Boots really was the uplifting tonic I did not know I needed last night. If you manage to get tickets to watch this musical you will not be disappointed.
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