Kinky Boots

D&S Productions returned to the Brindley with their production of ‘Kinky Boots’ directed by Donna Dale. This is a musical where you need strong, confident performers, and Donna assembled a cast who most definitely were! There were a few moments where blocking and stage positioning could have been tidied up, particularly in some of the factory scenes, especially when it was busy on-stage. On the whole, the direction was solid, with some great character development. The set looked good and was fit for purpose, with trucks wheeled on for some scenes. It was a great idea to have the stage crew costumed as factory workers with the green apron. It ensured the pace didn’t slow. Costumes were very good, especially the Angels, who all looked fab!

The musical director was Craig Price. The band sounded great bringing Cyndi Lauper’s music to life. It was clear the amount of work that Craig had done with the cast to ensure that the vocals were excellent, considering the full-on choreography.

Gemma Walker choreographed ‘Kinky Boots’. The choreography was delivered well by the cast. Everyone appeared to be confident and secure in the routines, especially in the finale with everyone dancing in heels!

Lighting and sound were good throughout. The band seemed that little bit louder during the opening, but it was soon sorted to ensure a good sound balance for the rest of the production. Lighting was good, and used well to enhance the production.

Jon Croft was a tour-de-force as the drag queen Lola! An absolute powerhouse in terms of singing, dancing and acting. As Lola, Jon was fierce and took no prisoners, which was the complete opposite to Simon. Jon was able to play the tenderness well, leaving the audience in an emotional mess, especially with ‘Not My Father’s Son’ and ‘Hold Me in Your Heart’, which was delivered with so much feeling.

Equally as good was Chris Doyle as Charlie. The internal struggle of what to do with the family business was well played by Chris. There was a great deal of pathos, as well as some great comedy moments. Chris excelled in his songs, with ‘The Soul of a Man’ being a highlight.

Lauren was played by Gabrielle Stanfield. This was a very good performance from Gabrielle, battling to be noticed by Charlie. Gabrielle has a good knack for comedy, which she was able to display in this production. ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ was performed very well.

Jen Ellison did well in the role of Nicola. She developed a believable relationship with Chris, and the audience could see the change in her character as the production went on.

Sam Eggins impressed, playing both Harry and Richard Bailey. Two contrasting characters that Sam really sunk his teeth into. ‘Take What You Got’ was a great number performed by Sam.

John Denny played George. This was a good performance, providing a fatherly figure to Charlie.

Don was played by Antony Holden. This was a convincing performance from Antony who was able to show Don’s journey to accepting people’s differences.

Jasmine Farnworth provided some good comedy moments as Pat. She had some great interactions with the factory workers, and with Jon as Lola/Simon.

Anna Graves provided good support as Trish. It was a good characterisation, and Anna worked well with the rest of the cast.

Kriss James appeared as Mr Price. Kriss was good in this cameo role, helping to establish the story. It would have been lovely to see Kriss join the ensemble after the cameo role.

The Angels (Shane Bear, Hayley Dale, Chloe Davies, George Lomax, Stuart Wilson-Maher, Jessica Martin and Damian Riverol) were quite simply fabulous! They strutted on stage with ease, performing high energy numbers very well. Each Angel had their unique character, which was very much appreciated.

Reuben Walker (Young Charlie) and Thomas Graves (Young Lola) both performed well, and looked like they were having the time of their lives.

The ensemble provided good support throughout. Each had thought about a character and developed that individual character throughout the production. Caireen Candlin particularly stood out from the ensemble with some well-developed characters.

Overall, this was a great production. It was a show full of love, inclusivity and some excellent performances from this company.

Thank you to D&S Productions for their warm welcome and kind hospitality. All the best for your next production.

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