Kinky Boots

As part of their centenary celebrations, Crewe Amateur Musicals Society presented their production of ‘Kinky Boots’. Directed by Sean Johnson-Hargreaves, this production had everything that you could wish for – comedy, pathos, and drag queens! Overall, the general direction from Sean was very good. It was great to see well-rounded characters and the pace was good throughout. Blocking and stage positioning was generally good. There were a few moments when the entire cast was on stage that were lost, such as when Young Charlie transforms into adult Charlie. A big round of applause to everyone for dancing in those heels and to those who walked the catwalk – no mean feat, especially on the Lyceum stage! The set was very impressive, with a static set of the factory interior for the majority of the production. Other set pieces were brought on to create the other locations, such as a simple bar and toilet cubicle. There was a big scene change to the Milan fashion show, which looked just as impressive. Just be aware of scene changes. There was one especially noisy scene change near the end of Act One. Costumes were very good, with Lola and the Angels being well made up.

The musical director was Treona Holden. The score has many different music styles from the musical theatre ballad to the more disco inspired numbers. Treona led the band well with these songs, with the cast delivering them extremely well. The whole ensemble numbers were a joy to listen to.

Choreography came from Rhianne Stubbs. Most of the choreography came from Lola and the Angels, who were all full of energy and commitment. The boxing scene was also well choreographed. The tango inspired ‘What a Woman Wants’ was performed well, with the comedic elements at the forefront.

Technical elements were very good throughout. The lighting design was very good, with a good use of colours throughout. The strobe worked effectively for the boxing match, creating a good effect. Sound was equally as good throughout, with a good balance between the band and the cast.

Sean Clark-Wilkinson delivered a standout performance as Charlie Price. Sean performed effortlessly, drawing you into Charlie’s story. Sean took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the production, with his outburst towards Lola drawing audible gasps from the audience. Sean’s vocals were outstanding throughout, with ‘The Soul of a Man’ being a highlight of the production.

Michael Daws was fantastic as Lola/Simon. Again, this performance seemed effortless, from Lola’s confidence to Simon’s insecurity, Michael pitched these aspects of the character perfectly. Michael’s performance of ‘I’m Not My Father’s Son’ brought the audience to tears – so heartfelt and believable.

Chloe Parr delivered a knockout performance as Lauren. It was a great character performance and Chloe wringed out the comedy, drawing plenty of laughs from the audience. ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ was excellently performed by Chloe, absolutely nailing the comedic elements of the song.

Robert Crabb gave a good performance as Don and was able to show the journey of Don throughout the production. He was able to show the different sides of Don’s character convincingly.

Ian Wilkinson played George very well. Ian’s characterisation was great, giving George actions and mannerisms that alluded to his sexuality, which made it a more three dimensional character.

Natalie Kent and Lizzie Clubbe were good as Pat and Trish respectively. Natalie was suitably funny, especially in ‘What a Woman Wants’ – some very funny facial expressions! Lizzie showed her character’s frustrations with the additional work very well.

Gemma O’Donnell gave a good performance as Nicola, able to show her character’s progression throughout well.

As Charlie’s friend, Harry, Marcus Dolman performed ‘Take What You Got’ well. It was great creating a small band, with Marcus being joined by Khonor Almond and Ben Stubbs for the number.

Nick Horsley’s Mr Price was very good. Although a brief appearance, Nick was very strong in the role, working well with Elijah as Young Charlie. It was great to see Nick join the ensemble for the rest of the show.

The Angels (Christopher Barker, Luke Billington, Heather Clark-Wilkinson, Luke Dipple, Adam Simpson and Diane Wye) worked extremely well together and with Michael’s Lola. They all performed confidently, not putting a heel out of place! It was a great idea to include the Mini Angels (Jenny Jones, Edell Telfer-Johnson, Kylee Jones and Lily Metcalf) to boost the energy of the drag performances within the musical.

There was a big ensemble who contributed to the production throughout, as factory workers, pub patrons and audience members of Lola’s drag show. They really added to the big crowd scenes, such as the boxing match.

A big well done to Elijah Dale and Miles Clifford-Ball who performed as Young Charlie and Young Lola respectively. Performing on a big stage can be incredibly daunting and you both did extremely well! The audience definitely loved the both of you.

Overall, this was a very good production, with some excellent principal performances, exciting choreography and a great set.

A big thank you to everyone at CAMS for their kind invite and their hospitality. Enjoy your centenary year – here’s to many more!

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