Kinky Boots At Regent Theatre Stoke On Trent Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by K. Moreau

I was invited to review Kinky Boots at the Regent Theatre in Stoke. Already knowing that it is a three time winner of the Olivier awards, I had high expectations, and from the very first song, I was blown away. I was prepared for a lighthearted and camp celebration of the Drag scene, but Kinky Boots was so much more than that. It managed to balance all the fun and flamboyance you’d expect, whilst still delivering real emotional weight.

Kinky Boots follows the story of Charlie Price, who inherits a struggling shoe factory. After a chance meeting with the Drag Queen Lola, he sets out to save his family business by creating high heeled boots strong enough to support the weight of a full grown man. Of course, this is met with scepticism by some of the residents of the quiet Northumberland town.

The stars of the show of course were Tosh Wanogho-Maud and Dan Partridge, who play Lola and Charlie, respectively. Both actors have incredible resumes. Tosh having performed in Robin Hood, Titanique, and Oklahoma, to mention but a few. And Dan having performed in Grease, Cats, and Evita.

Tosh’s Lola enters the stage in a riot of sequins and sass: very much the confident entertainer. Whereas, when we meet Dan’s character Charlie, he is much more uncertain and conflicted: polar opposites in every way. Yet, the friendship formed between the two becomes the emotional heart of the story as they begin to understand each other, and help each other to be true to themselves. Both character arcs are thoughtful and engaging, providing the show with a wonderful emotional depth in amongst the glitz and glamour.

A particularly favourite character of mine was Lauren (played by Courtney Bowman). Her song “The History of Wrong Guys” had me giggling out loud. Another endearing character was George (played by Scott Paige), who despite expectations to be stoic like the other men working in the factory, was almost giddy to support the new and fascinating Lola. The entire ensemble cast was also brilliant: the choreography was dramatic and engaging, you could feel the energy. Costumes were fabulous, as expected. I was enthralled by the variety of wigs that Lola’s Angels displayed. And, yes, I may have left the show wanting to purchase a pair of red boots.

The pacing of the show struck the perfect balance between humour and emotion. For example, just as the story starts to get too heavy, a character might deliver a perfectly timed one-liner. Indeed, laugh out loud moments and cheeky quips had the whole audience giggling, including my husband, who was highly amused by the cheeky banter. Similarly, after a spell of colourful, high energy dance numbers and innuendos, we are delivered a genuinely touching moment. This careful balance between comedy and emotion kept the audience engaged from start to finish.

Overall, Kinky Boots is a wonderful story about friendship, humour and embracing who you truly are. So: “Ladies, Gentlemen, and those who have yet to decide,” please make your way to the Regent Theatre and treat yourselves to a showing of “Kinky Boots.”

I give this show 5/5 stars. The choreography, the costumes, and the incredible singing and acting talent displayed on stage were astounding.

Rating: 5/5

Kinky Boots is running from Wednesday November 26th, to Sunday November 30th.
You can find tickets for Kinky Boots at https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre/
Tickets begin at £28 and the show has a running time of 2 hours 40 minutes, including the interval.