Kinky Boots

Warmly welcomed, as we always are, and after the obligatory "raffle" purchase we took our seats in the auditorium and were greeted with a large set depicting the inside of the Shoe Factory, where the story is set.

Kinky Boots is largely based on a true story, adapted for the stage from the book by Harvey Fierstein and Music & Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. It tells the tale of an old fashioned family-run shoe manufacturer that is struggling to move with the times and is facing closure after the death of its Managing Director. That coupled with the son, who is not interested in the factory and moves to London, to make his fortune, only to bump into Lola, a Drag Queen, with a need of cost-effective and reliable boots... let the story unfold.

The band, an eleven piece led by Ian Partridge, kept a good pace throughout and added brilliantly to the piece, with the sound levels being just right, loud enough that we could hear them well, but not too loud that they drowned out the cast and principles. Always a difficult thing to do at the Point Theatre: credit here to Rich Wyeth and Mark Bourne. The lighting worked and programmed well (Livewire Theatrical Consultants) and added to the overall effect on a big stage. The production values were of a very good standard.

The principle line up was well led by a very confident and convincing Lola, Noah Clayton-Hart, and Charlie Price, Alfie Finn, who worked extremely well together. They were ably backed up by Hattie Funnell as Lauren and Alicia Flemming as Nicola. The choreography was inventive and very effective and challenging in places, but the directorial team of Summer Hughes (Choreographer) and Mike Mullen (Director) had obviously worked and rehearsed the cast well. This came across into the auditorium, their enthusiasm was very evident. They all knew where they were supposed to be and when, there were no noticeable side glances of unsureness from any of the cast. The diction, in the main, was of a good quality, especially given the speed of the show and the quick choreography set.

This was a really fun evening and a more than creditable performance from a talented and growing youth thatre group. Well done Mike and all the company.

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