Kinky Boots

Following the likes of ‘Sister Act’, ‘Pretty Woman’, ‘Ghost’, ‘The Full Monty’, ‘Priscilla’ to name just a few, a film from the 90’s has undergone the conversion treatment to retell its tale for the commercial stage as an all-singing, all-dancing musical theatre extravaganza! This story in particular - with its huge heart, huge characters and feelgood connotation had been crying out for a stage adaptation for years! I saw the production in London’s west end a few months before it closed and as a huge fan of the film along with recognising that the idea of presenting this inspired story as a piece of theatre was long overdue, I was – unsurprisingly - incredibly eager to see it… I wasn’t especially captured by it as a musical and came away thinking it would have been stronger if it’d been told as a play, the score didn’t strike much of a chord with me, stifling the story rather than enhancing it, one song isn’t about anything at all other than chanting “yeah, yeah” for three minutes - I mean, come on…!! Is this what musical theatre has evolved into, really!? Though not all is lost thanks to Sale Nomads production of the exact same show which I can’t quite believe was the same show I saw in London a few years prior. I came away with an entirely different impression! It’s safe to say I was converted, the music was outstanding (with the songs feeling like an extension of the story) I didn’t even mind three minutes of “yeah yeah” which had grated so heavily on me when I saw it previously! …A completely different theatrical experience altogether! This just goes to show how amateur productions can be – and so often are – a little pocket of magic in our theatres. The passion, adrenalin and hype is rife for just one week so of course the ambiance will be more electric than what you’d get from a professional production that’s ran for years and is due to close. This experience is what amateur theatre is, and should be, all about!    

 

Staging ‘Kinky Boots’ had attracted a lot of new members into the Nomads throng, excellent! …though anyone who is familiar with Sale Nomads prior to this production would still have seen many of the stalwarts and familiar faces stepping up to the plate and giving us their utmost! Ian Moore is a Nomads regular and took on the role of Don - a brawny, stereotypical tough guy and ignorant hooligan. Ian did something interesting and incredibly clever with this character in order for it to work for him, making the role (somehow!) semi likeable and not just hitting us heavy with a typical overbearing, small-minded ruffian as you’d expect Don to be portrayed. As an audience member I found I was wanting him to change for the better early on in the story where normally I’d quite eagerly await his comeuppance. Delivering Don the way Ian did made it even more heart-warming when he finally does see the error of his ways resulting in a far stronger impact than how such a role is typically portrayed…very smart! The penny drop moment, when reading Lola’s note and trying to understand it, was impeccable – you could spend a small fortune trailing the country for the most renowned acting classes and they could not teach anyone that sense of timing! Tremendous!

John Dean, new to Nomads, took the role of Lola/Simon. This role is a wonderful vehicle for showcasing John’s ability. His portrayal – vocally, emotionally and physically – of ‘Not My Father’s Son’ was exquisite. Likewise, his shining moment in act II was undoubtedly ‘Hold Me In Your Heart’ which was equally as emotionally charged as the afore mentioned number and, he donned his finest attire of the night in this number too, it could’ve been designed for him, really lovely! John has the ability to hit us as a performer, be it when he needs to smack us with a force of vitality or hold us all in the palm of his hand for a tender rendition, we were hanging on his every word and with a stage command that would rival any seasoned professional, wonderful!

 

With shows like this, every department is challenged to the max, it’s all hands on deck! Make-up on the drag characters (aka Angels in this show) seemed as though each cast member had been left to fend for themselves as the consistency between them was vastly spread with some looking ‘dame’, some looking ‘high glamour’ and some giving the impression they’d been given a box of crayons to do it! A more uniform presentation between the Angels and Lola would have been an advantage to eliminate the ‘mixed bag’ exhibition we got. I appreciate it’s much more difficult for Lola/Simon as this character is in and out of drag many times during the course of the show but when ‘made up’ and performing with the Angels his make-up did covey as though he’d been an afterthought in comparison.

It's so difficult – and an ongoing struggle in our game – to get costumes to look right for a cast when hiring in a set that’ve been designed for other people and Lola’s wardrobe fell short here as the majority of Lola’s drag costumes were not suited to this actors physique, all of us are a melange of body shapes so not every cut is going to be flattering on everyone. When it hit the mark for John (the white floaty frock in act II for example) it was gorgeous! As the leading role of this show is someone who needs to constantly look catwalk ready he should really have been treated to an afternoon with the costumiers to ensure what cuts he’d be wearing would work for him to guarantee he’d look (and feel) fabulous at all times as that’s so imperative to the show and to the character. I appreciate that the costumiers hire out their designs which are an imitation of the original production – and that’s great if that suits the director’s vision for their telling of the story – but that doesn’t mean those same patterns would look the same on everyone else as they did on Billy Porter.

 

The production team, just to get this show on its feet, had done a tremendous job! Without a doubt this was the most challenging single show I’ve seen Nomads attempt in my time as their Rep, and an epic undertaking it was! …and incredibly lucky to have had packed houses to celebrate the triumph! Congratulations! Dave Moreton directed this show and what struck me was how many directors in the amateur scene have so many of their choices made for them … some may prefer this as it inevitably makes their job easier whereas some will feel blocked as they’re not able to present their production is an original telling or revival. This production used the original logo for its promo as well as a set design and costumes that were an imitation of the original production so there wasn’t really any room for any fresh creativity or vision from the director. Paying homage to the professional version is about all you can achieve in cases like this! However, reverting back to my first paragraph, how the show resonated at the Sale Waterside was far mightier than what I got when sitting in London’s Adelphi Theatre. It’s hard to deviate from creating a replica to present something that’s unique and given the show is still relatively ‘new’, it’s easier to roll with it. Same goes for the choreography which had Laura Floyd at the helm, we were presented with sequences that were direct replicas of the original Jerry Mitchell choreography. I wholly appreciate if doing a show like ‘Chicago’, ‘Sweet Charity’ or ‘West Side Story’ there’s certain steps and shapes an audience would expect to see but with ‘Kinky Boots’ there’s so much more freedom and scope for original compositions rather than paying homage to something that’s not yet established as a classic. Though what cannot be denied is how the dancing from the entire cast was performed with vigour and attack which was infectious, terrific job from all. Tom Guest, a new Musical Director to the Nomads, brought an entirely new lease of life to the company in his role as MD, the band sounded immense - another ‘best yet’ for the Nomads, we must have exceeded a hat-trick by now!?! - the vocals from the ensemble were really excellent too…I hope this level is maintained in all productions going forward and this isn’t just a one off, the ability has been verified now so there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue, right?! I attended on the Friday evening and it was evident that the voices of the two leads were feeling the pressure, their voices were tired which caused the high belts to sound strained and in some cases break completely. It was evident that these two certainly have the chops to belt out these songs on a normal day but trying to deliver these numbers with exhausted voices was clearly taking its toll.    

 

The scale of the hired set had been reworked terrifically to be able to function in the Waterside’s space, the problem with hiring in sets is how they all tend to be designed for full scale professional sized theatres with fly towers, which is great for some companies in our game but the sooner these large scenery suppliers embrace and appreciate that more amateur theatre happens in smaller scale venues, the better! But kudos has to be given to how this large-scale set had been made to work in the space.

 

Entirely at the centre of this show’s story was Mike Miller as Charlie Price - the Achilles heel of the show (pun absolutely intended)! Mike understood exactly when to be the front runner and when to step back to let other people have their moment which showed how gracious a performer he is, and it needs this method! He took the role in his stride, never over did it and offered us a genuine and natural portrayal, a very likeable character exuded and helped carry the show. This role could very easily be disregarded as inherently dull next to the pizazz of Lola though John and Mike were a good match who balanced each other out with refined compliments, their friendship and opposites were nicely offset. It was an enticing pleasure to witness and enjoy Mike’s journey. Lauren, a role I struggled to even recall from the London production, was played by Philippa Shellard who delivered a knockout performance proffering the show’s most genuine belly laughs backed up with solid power ballad vocals and charming character choices which together distributed a fully rounded act which would’ve – quite easily – stood its ground in any professional production of ‘Kinky Boots’, faultless.                         

 

The halt that’d been forced on to us from the pandemic has reinvigorated so many societies and it’s so inspiring to witness! Reigniting the hunger and passion which reminds us just why we fell in love with this exceptional hobby in the first place. The result of this has compelled so many companies to strike back with a newfound, reenergised spirit and no better could this have been on display than with this production of ‘Kinky Boots’ by Sale Nomads! “Turned a corner” doesn’t even touch the sides! What a transformation! You can do it! You HAVE done it… it just goes to show that ‘the more you put into a project, the more you get out of it’ and I just hope that the degree of what’s been put into this production continues for the others to follow it, pantomimes included, I really hope the bar remains at the height you’ve raised it! Such an exciting time for this company, who should be extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished!

 

Our country is, like many others, currently facing a troubling attack on the rights of anyone who doesn't adhere to a very narrow definition of humanity, and this story is a full-hearted disclaimer of that as it celebrates the human right to be whoever you want to be! So for whatever minor gripes that’re pinpointed above (and they are minor in the grand scheme of things), it scarcely matters when it sent us out into the night in a haze of rainbow glitter and the ultimate feel-good vibes! Isn’t that what theatre is for??  Sale Nomads’ ode to authenticity and individuality was a definite crowd pleaser, I loved it! Congratulations! Keep going like this!  

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