When I learned that “Kinky Boots” would be appearing at The Queen’s Theatre, I was ecstatic. I’ve only seen this musical a few times, so I knew it would be intriguing to watch it at one of my favourite theatres.
When I entered the theatre and noticed the staging was quite simple, I began to worry a little about the performance. It appears to be fairly basic, with just a straightforward industrial space visible and some tables and chairs. But don’t worry, the stage miraculously changes throughout the performance, and the musical Kinky Boots undoubtedly enters a crazy realm as it extends into the contemporary normalcy of kinky alongside normal shoes.
I often found myself sitting in wonder as I merely listened to some of Charlie Price’s songs because of Matt Corner’s incredible performance. He and Keanu Adolphus Johnson, who plays the drag queen Lola, both do a fantastic job of capturing the character’s true emotions, and that, coupled with the current discussion of transgender, got me to thinking about how all of our contemporary ideas will have developed through our friends, families, and societies.
The one moment that will certainly leave you aching for more after each performance is the appearance of the Lola Angels. The characters of the Lola Angels, played by Jay Anderson, George Lynham, Cavan Malone, and Hiromi Toyooka, do a tremendous job of throwing a light on Lola and making him shine through some incredible dancing performances.
Charlie Price has his own support in the factory, with Aruhan Galieva, the character of Lauren. Aruhan is an amazing actress and I suddenly realised that I already recognised her from her recent performance in Doctor Who. She absolutely made me giggle with her singing and dancing performance, and I’m still giggling as I write this.
The evening made me giggle uncontrollably, however there were a lot of breaks between songs and dances that made you impatient for the next. But the humorous and outstanding performances will certainly make you want to watch it again.