Kinky Boots – Kicks Off With a Well-Heeled Opening Night

The movie is something of a 20 year-old classic so when the new tour of KINKY BOOTS sashayed into the Wales Millennium Centre last night, there was obviously much excitement.

As with all the best tales the show is based on true events, telling the story of Charlie Price (DAN PARTRIDGE) who inherits his dad’s shoe factory, which is down on it’s heels (sorry).

Absolutely determined to make it a success he gets together with drag performer Lola (JOHANNES RADEBE) who helps create a new line of the finest boots, fit for a queen. And all of this happens in Northampton, not a place you’d expect to house the wildest Kinky Boots.

The cast is first class and the soundtrack is a once hear, never forgotten event. With music and lyrics by the incredible CYNDI LAUPER, you just know this is going to be something special.

First things first – what did last nights audience think of the opening performance? We also spoke to two of the stars, Dan Partridge and WMC regular SCOTT PAIGE, who puts in a mighty fine performance as long serving factory worker Charlie……

As with all these ‘based on true event‘ stories, it’s the people who are at the very heart of it, and non more so than this show. It may be 20 years-old now but the story feels completely relevant to our world today.

There’s the financial impact the economy has on Charlie’s factory. It also deals with acceptance and identity and finding a way to step out of the shadow and be accepted for who you are.

But wrapped up in all of that, the show is incredibly funny, and as you can imagine with Johannes at the helm, the dancing is first class, and the entire company deliver a production worthy of it’s huge standing ovation.

It’s not often you get cheers throughout the production but that was most certainly the case when Johannes appeared.

Dan is excellent as Charlie, a complex and complicated character filled with awkwardness and determination, in equal measures. He spends pretty much most of the show on stage and has a bunch of the most powerful songs. He delivers them all with incredible heart.

The times when he and Johannes are on stage together are some of the best, which makes it hard to believe this is actually his musical theatre debut. You may know him from Strictly but be prepared for even more sass and passion as he struts around in the massive heels.

Johannes has a couple of cracking songs too, ‘Sex Is In The Heel‘ and ‘The Land of Lola‘ are fantastic fun and had us all itching to get on our feet.

There’s also a really tender, heartbreaking song (Not My Father’s Son) which has relevance to a lot of us. I won’t spoil it here but when you see the show you’ll understand what I mean. It’s a beautiful moment.

There are some real stand out performances, COURTNEY BOWMAN as Lauren is particularly good, with impeccable comic timing and a superb voice to match. We’ve seen her in a few productions now, the last time was in SIX, and she always delivers something special. But it’s fair to say this really is an ensemble piece with all the elements brought together like a pair of well heeled boots.

The set, which is in the main the shoe factory is huge and fits the Donald Gordon stage brilliantly. The moments where we step away from that to a nightclub or catwalk are seamless, as are the costumes which are FAB-U-LOUS, as some might say.

One really nice touch was at the end of the curtain call when they brought the crew out on stage to take a bow, well deserved I might add.

KINKY BOOTS is on stage at the Wales Millennium Centre for the rest of the week, through to Saturday 22nd. Performances are at 7:30pm with a 2:30pm matinee today, tomorrow and Saturday (Johannes won’t be performing on the Wednesday and Thursday matinees). We ought to tell you that tickets are in the limited availability category, so if you plan to go, pull up your boots and go HERE for tickets.