After a dazzling three years on the West End, Kinky Boots is strutting round the country and raising people up in all four corners of the UK! I recently caught the show in Sunderland and this spectacle of the show did not disappoint!
Kinky Boots, which premiered on Broadway in 2013, tells the story of the failing Price & Son shoe factory in Northampton. When Charlie Price's father dies unexpectedly, he is forced to takeover the factory and stop it from closing. With the help of his eccentric friend Lola, they start to manufacture shoes for drag queens and save the factory from closure.
Joel Harper-Jackson gives an unparalleled and unique performance as Charlie. He conveys every ounce of joy and frustration to the audience and his stellar performance of Soul of a Man is heartfelt and moving. All of this combined creates a very passionate performance and one that is emotive and powerful.
Kayi Ushe plays the eccentric drag queen, Lola, and his performance is sensational. Through his acting, he creates a character which the audience understands and relates to and his vocals in some of the more intimate and emotional songs in the show like Hold Me In Your Heart are simply beautiful. His relationship with Joel Harper-Jackson as Charlie is even more poignant during the song Not My Father's Son which is full of emotion and is one of the stand out moments of the show.
It must be said that Lola's backup dancers, the Angels, steal the show especially during big numbers like Sex Is In The Heel, Everybody Say Yeah and In This Corner. Paula Lane also gives a memorable performance as Lauren, who brings a bit of comedy to the role as she falls head over heels in love with Charlie and this is especially shown in The History of Wrong Guys which is highly entertaining.
In my opinion, I believe Cyndi Lauper's infectious music is truly what makes this show what it is and paired with Jerry Mitchell's choreography, it makes the show stand out from the rest and is what keeps people coming back for more. The uplifting story tells everyone that they can be who they want to be and that you should accept people for who they are which touches the hearts of the whole audience.
Kinky Boots tells an empowering story of acceptance which resonates with everyone who sees the show and makes it a truly beautiful and uplifting story that will inspire anyone who sees it.
Kinky Boots is currently visiting various venues on its UK tour. More information including how to buy tickets can be found here.
Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks
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