The well-heeled musical is in the West End to stay. Jessamy Chapman reviews it
Kinky Boots continues to take the West End by storm, and has extended its booking period to March 2018 accordingly.
Based on a true story, it’s the sparkling musical about a Northampton manufacturer of shoes for men, which needs to change its business model if it’s to keep trading.
It takes a knock-out encounter with the stunning Lola, a larger-than-life London drag artist, for apathetic owner Charlie Price to realise that he can save the business and the livelihoods of his staff by making a very different kind of men’s shoe. In the process he learns something about himself, and discovers a real passion for something for the first time in his life (other than “snogging”).
With songs written by Cyndi Lauper, the musical is at its best when it’s doing the big all-singing all-dancing numbers. The undisputed star of the show is Lola, played jaw-droppingly by Simon-Anthony Rhoden, whose singing voice and energy steal it – especially with ‘Land of Lola’, ‘The Sex is in the Heel’, and the emotional Hold Me in Your Heart’.
Charlie Price is played well by David Hunter (One Man, Two Guvnors), and a refreshing new addition to the cast is Verity Rushworth, well known as Donna Windsor in ITV’s Emmerdale, as the irresistibly playful Lauren.
It’s a delightful musical that will have you bouncing on your high heels, and it has a deeply positive message that resounds in the modern age: You can be who you are.
