REVIEW: You really have to go and see Kinky Boots
Image: Kinky Boots: Land of Lola. Photo: Matthew Murphy
WHAT I am about to confess may have my gay card revoked for all time; but I’m just not that into musical theatre.
I get to see a lot of different shows for work and while I can appreciate the elements that go into a production, I just can’t bring myself to obsession like so many people I know. I’m not really into the exaggerated acting, singing your feelings and cartoonish choreography.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this, I am a huge fan of classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Hamilton. But generally I’m just like ‘meh’ with musical theatre.
When I got tickets to the opening night of Kinky Boots I definitely went in with an open mind; after all the show was about drag queens, the music and lyrics were written Cyndi Lauper and I really loved the film.
Based on the movie starring Joel Edgerton and inspired by a true story, Kinky Boots is about a young man’s struggle to save the family business and the unexpected people he meets along the way. It is a celebration of love, friendship and the power of believing in yourself.
Charlie, played by the charming Toby Francis, inherits his father’s struggling shoe factory in working class England and has to come up with a creative solution to save his family’s legacy. Cue an unexpected meeting with one of London’s leading drag queens, Lola (Callum Francis), Charlie takes a massive risk and decides to manufacture top of the line heeled boots for drag queens.
Make no mistake, I was always going to be hooked on this show when about 10 minutes into the show, an 8-year-old Lola was voguing the house down in sparkly red stilletos.
Callum Francis absolutely steals the show as the wise, empathetic and stunning Lola – there was a buzz whenever he took to the stage, there was a sense the crowd could tell they were watching the breakout performance of a talented star destined for a great career on the stage. While opening night crowds tend to be more animated than your average punters, I’ve never actually seen a crowd leap to their feet in the middle of an act which is exactly what they did after Francis gave a breathtaking performance of his character’s defining anthem Land of Lola.
The entire cast were stellar, including the drag queens who performed with electric energy and flawlessly executed the choreography.
However, while it was hard to keep up with the two male leads WAAPA graduate Sophie Wright – playing the doting and smart Lauren – gives them a very strong run for their money, almost upstaging them entirely at one point.
Kinky Boots is a highly entertaining show about family, friendship, class struggles and living in your father’s shadow. It is inspirational without bordering on being cheesy, but is ridiculously fun and beautiful.
But most importantly, it’s a camp extravaganza that will have screaming ‘Yes, gawd’ multiple times throughout the night.
Really you must go and see it, they give good epiphany.
Kinky Boots, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne until July 15.
