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Ladies, gentleman, and those who are yet to make up their minds – I urge you to drop everything and make your way over to The Regent Theatre before the end of the week. It has been a phenomenal year of shows for the Hanley-based venue this year, from War Horse and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, to & Juliet, 2:22 A Ghost Story and more. But Kinky Boots might just be a contender for one of my favourites.
The brand-new UK tour of the Broadway and West End smash hit strutted back into Stoke-on-Trent this week, bringing with it sass, soul and some seriously sexy shoes. The production proved to be as camp as an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, leaning into its sequins, humour, and larger-than-life energy.
But what surprised me most was how heartfelt the show is. Beneath the glamour and big laughs is a story about resilience, identity, acceptance and what people do when life backs them into a corner.
Based on the 2005 film of the same name, Kinky Boots sees Charlie Price – son of a cobbler – inherit his father’s failing shoe factory. With a relationship on the rocks, workers to sack and uncertain about the future, something needs to change. By chance, he meets drag queen Lola, whose unsteady heels and eye for detail might just be the answer to saving the struggling business.
Tosh Wanogho-Maud is an exceptional Lola. Hilarious one moment, vulnerable the next, but utterly commanding in every scene. His delivery of Hold Me in Your Heart genuinely caught me off guard with how emotional it was.
As Charlie Price, Dan Partridge portrays a man torn between his own insecurities and his duty to the factory. Driven by toxic masculinity, we see a hateful side to his character in Act 2 as he verbally lays in to Lola, but his redemption at the end of the show is heartfelt and hard earned.
Courtney Bowman shines as Lauren, delivering northern wit with absolute ease and nailing the cheeky charm of The History of Wrong Guys with powerhouse vocals. A special mention must go to Scott Paige as George, who was an absolute joy to watch on stage. He added so much personality to the show and his comic timing was spot on every single time.
Meanwhile Billy Roberts’ Don became an unlikely favourite, having started out as a stubborn and misogynistic factory worker, but as the story unfolded he became one of its best surprises. His scenes with Lola were some of the show’s most important, particularly the boxing match, with Don’s journey being an important vehicle for the show’s message of acceptance and inclusivity.
With music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, the score is fit to burst with a ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ kind of energy, the highlight of which for me was the fantastically choreographed and empowering What a Woman Wants.
Kinky Boots is the perfect pre-festive treat – uplifting, hilarious, heartwarming, and bursting with personality. It’s a love letter to being yourself, and discovering the courage to be exactly who you are.
