The first thing you notice about someone is their shoes. At least that's what Harold Price, father to Charlie Price will tell you. Yet when he leaves his show factory to his son, it takes a different kind of shoe from what his dad made for Charlie to understand there is more to shoemaking than simply stitching leather. 

Since its hit success on the big screen, Broadway, and the West End, Kinky Boots is a show that has taken the world by storm. Now available for local theatre's to put on their own versions, it was time for our local theatre group to take on these boots. 

Based on the film of the same name (and loosely based on a true story), Kinky Boots follows Charlie Price. A man who inherits a failing shoe factory in his hometown. With the idea in his mind that in order to survive he must carve himself a niche market, he meets an unsuspecting business partner in Lola, a drag queen that is larger than life and leaves a mark wherever they go. Between them they must overcome their own demons and inner struggles in order for this business idea to be a success. 

The role of Charlie was played by Matt Stockham, who honestly had me in awe with his talent. I was more than surprised to see that he hadn't walked straight from a West End show into this role as he gave arguably the performance of the night. Paired with Charlie is of course Lola, portrayed by Lea Martin, a local performer who brought the sass, flair, and flamboyance that we all know and love from this iconic character. 

Jessica Dawson-King put on the perfect performance as Lauren, the goofy and bubbly factory worker that helps Charlie on his mission to save the factory. If she hasn't realised this yet, she has a big future on the stage ahead of her and I can't wait to see how her performing career progresses! Backed by a brilliant ensemble cast who really helped pull this show together, it was amazing to see so much local talent on stage. I must also applaud Lola's Angels who managed to sing, dance and act in staggeringly high heels. How they managed to pull that off I will never know! 

With a hit soundtrack written by Cyndi Lauper, this toe tapping show leaves you dancing in your seat. Choreography came from Heather Davis, and along with the direction by Helen Barrington really made the show stand out from other amateur productions. I was super impressed with this production and was blown away with how professional it really came across. If I didn't know some of the cast, I would have thought it was a national tour! After a long time away from the theatre's it was amazing to see how a local production could really bring the house down. With a standing ovation at the end and a theatre full of audience members dancing, this show really did raise you up. 

With performances running until 16/4/2022, it's a short run, but a show not to miss. For more information and to buy tickets follow the link: BBLOC Kinky Boots tickets