“Ladies, gentlemen and those who are yet to make up your mind…”
Last Thursday I was invited to go see the UK tour of Kinky Boots now at Edinburgh Playhouse (10 Dec – 5 Jan) and had I fantastic night filled with cheeky giggles, powerful vocals and fabulous costumes. I’ve visited Edinburgh Playhouse many, many times over the years and I never cease to be impressed by its beautiful architecture, dazzling chandeliers and electric atmosphere. I’ve always been lucky enough to have a comfy seat and a clear view of the stage, although the view I had in the stalls that night was particularly impressive, plus the bar is always packed with an array of cocktails with surprisingly quick service considering the crowds. They even have a new service where you can preorder your drinks and snacks via an app. The Playhouse is very central and easy to travel to, the Christmas market is only a short distance away (a must-see at this time of year) and the Omni Centre which is packed with restaurants and bars is literally a stone throw away too.
I’d previously heard Lorelai and Taylor making references to Kinky Boots in the Gilmore Girls revival and watched the fabulous Todrick Hall lip syncing for his life on Ru Paul’s Drag Race to the song ‘Land of Lola’ (which happened to be my favourite performance of the night), however, I knew very little about the musical’s actual plot prior to the performance. Kinky Boots was originally a 2005 British film based on true events. Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, the film starred Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Nick Frost and was adapted into a Broadway musical accompanied by music and lyrics written by Grammy and Tony-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper.
Price & Son, a family-run shoe factory in Northampton, is near bankruptcy. With the passing of his father, Chalie Price is left to keep the struggling business afloat and live up to his father’s expectations. After Price & Son loses their biggest contract and faces closure, a desperate Charlie travels to London where he has a chance encounter with drag queen and nightclub sensation, Lola. She inspires him to ditch his dad’s outdated brogues and create fabulous footwear for men or, as Charlie announces to his confused workforce, “2.5 feet of irresistible, tubular, SEX!… Any questions?”
Callum Francis who played Lola was incredible. Literally the best performance I have ever witnessed firsthand on stage. His vocals and stage presence (in and out of red sequins) was insane, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. In fact, the entire cast was fabulous and the choreography especially during ‘Everybody Says Yeah’ was really impressive. Lola’s gorgeous girls aka ‘Angels’ were perfection and I could watch them perform high kicks and splits in their beautiful costumes all night long.
Kinky Boots is bloody hilarious but it’s not all eye-watering one-liners and innuendos, there are touching moments that really give the characters depth and heart such as when Lola, aka Simon, is taunted by factory workers for not being a ‘real man’ and talks about his strained relationship with his father in ‘Not My Father’s Son’. I’ve never been to a show before were audience members next to me are literally dancing in their seats and crying with laughter. At the end of the performance, everyone in the stalls jumped out of their seats and gave the cast a huge standing ovation. I’d never experienced anything like it before and it actually made me a little emotional to be part of it. It’s easy to see why Kinky Boots is such a worldwide cult phenomenon.
The UK tour of Kinky Boots is at the Edinburgh Playhouse until 5th Jan. Check out dates, show times and availability at ATG Tickets here.
