While the news channels every day feed us more tales of borders closing and intolerance mounting it is good to escape to the Theatre Royal in Norwich to catch a show where the message is fiercely inclusive.

Kinky Boots is a stage musical that builds on the success of the film and features again the music and lyrics of Cyndi Lauper.

Set in a Northamptonshire shoe factory facing shrinking demand for its classical brogues the musical tells the tale of  Charlie Price, the son in the beleaguered business of Price and son.  Charlie (Joel Harper-Jackson) is about to start a new life as a marketing executive in London with his aspirational girlfriend Nicola (Helen Ternent), leaving the family shoe business far behind. But as soon as they reach their tiny London base he gets a call to say his father has died, so Charlie now runs the shoe firm. Before leaving the metropolis he gets caught in a street scuffle where he attempts to intervene to help drag artiste Lola (Kayi Ushe) avoid a mugging. Charlie is knocked out and finds himself coming to in Lola’s dressing room. Here he sees the poor quality of the high heel boots that the drag artiste uses, offering to fix a faulty pair.

Returning to the factory he prepares to close the business, but is challenged by feisty young Lauren (Paula Lane) who points out that other firms nearby have diversified into niche markets to survive. Charlie has a lightbulb moment and brings Lola to Northampton to design a new range of kinky boots. Promoted to executive status, Lauren develops a crush for Charlie.

Every twist and turn of the story is laid out in Lauper’s upbeat songs. They fit the glittering world of the drag act of Lola and his six ‘Angels’ an impossibly glamorous bunch of chaps in high heels and little else. Their high kicking, high energy moves lift this show into a class of its own. The result is an enjoyable musical here performed by a skilled and hard working cast.

The show is not perfect – for me the songs are a bit too dominant, extending the performance beyond the length it needs to succeed. The script has some memorable dialogue and could cope with more witty interaction. The lively cast get many opportunities to show off their talents. Kayi Ushe is confident and perfectly cast as Lola, the drag artiste who is also a trained boxer, and he has a fine singing voice. Paula Lane gives an engaging performance as Lauren, the mouthy factory girl who gets a little more than she might have dreamed from her day job. Joel Harper-Jackson is well cast as the hesitant and rather wimpy Charlie. He is a good foil to Lola but this requires his own character to be a bit dull and underwhelming which I am sure goes against the grain for young actors.

Charlie, Lauren and Lola – photos Helen Maybanks

Kinky Boots does give space for several likeable characters to be developed from amongst the factory staff. Adam Price is great fun as the factory foreman George, who is keener than might be expected to explore the new footwear niche on offer. Demitri Lampra as Dom turns from a threatening bully into a loyal team player after Lola sorts him out.

In the finest traditions of musical theatre this is not a subtle work, but it has more depth and pathos than many of the current offerings of the genre. It is a lively show that does not rely on a TV star casting to draw the punters in and is enhanced by the enthusiastic orchestra lurking in the pit. It triumphs the craftworkers of the UK who seem to be a vanishing breed these days as they face cheap imports and cynical capital. If you want a night of fun at the theatre this one is hard to beat. Just don’t try dancing in seven inch heels until you really know you are tough enough!

© Julian Swainson 2019

Listing:
Kinky Boots, Tuesday 17 to Saturday 28 September. Eves 7.30pm, Mats Thu & Sat 2.30pm. Tickets Mon-Thu £10-£47, Fri & Sat £10-£51. Discounts for Friends, Over-60s, Under-18s and Groups. Audio-described performance on Thu 26 Sept 2.30pm. Signed performance on Thu 26 Sept 2.30pm. Captioned performance on Thu 19 Sept 2.30pm.

To book, log onto www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk or call the box office on 01603 630000.