Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

To win one major award would be a serious vindication of the chops of a West End show, and would cement it in a position atop the plethora of musicals on offer – but to win five! Such is the story of Kinky Boots, which, after opening to moderate reviews on Broadway, went on to win six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, before transferring to the West End where it has continued to build quite a reputation. This is no surprise, with its exceptionally strong cast, a compelling story, and songs that can contend even with the greats of Lloyd Webber or Rogers & Hammerstein in catchiness and sheer depth.

Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price (Killian Donnelly), who is set to take over his father’s ailing shoe factory. His heart isn’t in it, but when he meets the audacious drag queen Lola (Matt Henry), who is looking for some rather special heels, it seems that their luck might change for the better. Donnelly is fantastic as Charlie, he channels the everyman and fully owns the role. He is also a beautiful singer. But superlatives fail for Henry’s performance of what surely must become one of musical theatre’s great roles. Lola is played with such swagger and vivacity that it seems the stage might fall away before her, but she is perfectly balanced. Both actors give their characters such emotional depth that it is impossible not to fall in love with them.

The songs, penned by Cyndi Lauper, are profound but immensely singable – audiences will walk out humming. With a great mix of up-tempo numbers and ballads that draw from disco, rock, R&B and the great musical tradition, the variety is striking for a modern production of this genre. But it is the lyrics that really carry them: expect Lauper’s tunes to be in the great musical songbook in a decade or so.

By the end of the show theatregoers are up and out of their seats (always a good litmus test for whether a production is really great), and the climax is nicely done without feeling rushed. Kinky Boots genuinely could be in 25 years what the Rocky Horror Picture Show is today: a beloved musical. But you feel that its appeal will be so much broader, because at its heart it is a family show about loving who you are, and the whole family should go as soon as they can. Dare you not to sing along.

Stuart McMillan
Photo: Matt Crockett

Kinky Boots is on at the Adelphi Theatre until 22^nd March 2017. Book your tickets here.