KINKY BOOTS - DOS - ***** REVIEW

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Darlington Hippodrome to see a wonderful production of ‘Kinky Boots’ performed by Darlington Operatic Society.

I think supporting these companies is so very important as each and every performer on that stage and every single person behinds the scenes who make it happen - all do this because of their love for the arts and putting on a show for their audiences.

Kinky Boots is a musical based on the 2005 film of the same name, following the story of Charlie Price, the son of a shoe factory who is expected to uphold the family business, and Lola - a drag queen in need of a good pair of heels! This unlikely friendship drives the story full of fun and colour. This hearty story paired with a toe-tapping score from Cyndi Lauper makes for a total hit that will entertain any audience member. 

Darlington Operatic Society (DOS) have been producing full-scale musicals at the Darlington Hippodrome twice a year since 1945, last year they had Footloose and now Kinky Boots.

The first thing I must add, is that when DOS put on a production, they spare no expenses and every single time they create an eye-catching and professional show that you cannot tell apart from many professional shows on the circuit! This year’s production of ‘Kinky Boots’ is by a mile, the most professional, amateur production I have ever seen! In this review, I will tell you exactly why.

Starting with the incredible cast, who bring the heart and excitement to the show.

Ben Connor takes on the role of Charlie Price, burdoned with the weight of upholding his father’s shoemaking business. Connor’s portrayal of this character was brilliant bringing some magnificent vocals, as well as masses of comedy - particularly on the runway in his ‘Kinky Boots’. After seeing his performance as Ren in Footloose last year, It was great to see Connor’s versatility and he did not disappoint.

The role of Lola, the fiery Drag Queen who aids Charlie in saving his business was Leighton Taylor-Jones, who gave the most professional standard performance in this iconic role. Truly a standout performance from Taylor-Jones who served killer looks, a great vocal talent particularly in ‘Hold me in your Heart’ and had the part nailed, down to mannerisms. I loved Leighton Taylor-Jones’ different aspects to this character from a powerful and commanding drag queen to a vulnerable and heartfelt performance as “Simon from Clacton” not to mention his stage presence which held the audience on his every word. 

Lucy Adams is Lauren, and certainly fulfils the brief of being the comedy character. Harvey Fierstein’s script is used cleverly by Adams as she carefully and skillfully seems to squeeze out every ounce of comedy and gets all of the laughs from the audience. She also gives a powerful vocal performance during “History of Wrong Guys”. She had the audience chuckling frequently throughout.

Nicola, Charlie’s fiance, who he distances from as the ‘Kinky Boots’ project gets more intense, is played by Ellen Dunbavin who has fantastic acting skills particularly in the break-up scene she gave a Soap Opera worthy performance, and gave so much emotion which was really rather impressive.

Other standout’s were Jordan Hamilton-Leighton who was hilarious as George, Luke Oldfield as the rough and tough ‘Don’ who showed a massive vocal talent towards the end of the show particularly and Julian Cound as the late Mr Price! Further shoutouts to Alfie Webster and Arthur Martin who gave adorable, yet brilliant performances as Young Charlie and Young Lola.

The ensemble play a huge part in Kinky Boots, with the factory workers and Lola’s angels. There was not a single weak link in this cast with every single performer oozing with passion for performing and executing the choreography with a slickness and beaming smiles. I love watching the ensemble shine, particularly in amateur productions when you can see the pure joy of performing on the stage, which is another reason why you should always support these fantastic amateur companies! Each of Lola’s Angels donned multiple stunning costumes that were adorned with sparkles and colour - especially at the end where we see the Angel’s dressed in exciting costumes such as a London Underground driver, a Tennis Player and even a big sparkly Union jack! The whole cast ending the show wearing their very own pair of Kinky Boots was such a joyous moment and left me, and the entire audience up on their feet applauding and dancing along. It really did receive the thunderous applause it deserved.

Cyndi Lauper’s gorgeous score was played by a marvellous band. Lead by Musical Director Paul Walker. I always say there is nothing better than a live band, and this group proved this theory once again, giving this musical the energy and power it needed behind the music. 

The set was a fabulous playground for this cast to fully execute their best performances.

Direction and Choreography by Jo Hand were beautiful and brought the show to life with so many amazing moments.

This is truly an outstanding production of Kinky Boots that I haven’t stopped smiling about whilst writing this review. Darlington Operatic Society are a force to be reckoned with and I cannot wait to be back to see their production of ‘Made in Dagenham’ later this year! 

Please go and support DOS with ‘Kinky Boots’ you will not regret it, and I will be singing their praises for a long time. They are running through this week (except Tomorrow - 6th May), with tickets still available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/darlingtonos/e-ebvojy

But selling very quickly. So grab your tickets and get yourself there! You will not be disappointed.

Sunday 5th May 2024

Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants