Roland reviews Lyric’s Kinky Boots

KINKY Boots is an exhilarating, feel-good musical, and the Lyric Theatre production at Her Majesty’s Theatre makes you feel exactly that.

It takes you on a dramatic musical journey which is guaranteed to delight.

Mostly inspired by true events, and with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, and based on a book by Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots is a musical play (as opposed to a musical comedy), and is a genre which has its genesis in the British Theatre. Blood Brothers was one of the first of its type.

Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price and the shoe factory he inherited from his father in the north of England. To save the business Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen, Lola, to produce a line of high-heeled boots.

For the rest of the story you will need to buy a ticket and see the show. Like all good musicals, it does have a happy ending.

Directed by Steve Armati, the Lyric Theatre production has a strong and talented creative team headed by Jane Nice, Sarah Hiller and Gareth Grainger. Musically, it could not be more sound.

Ballarat is, and always has been, well served for talented theatre musicians. Having toured with professional drag-shows, Warren Bodycomb has designed an endless parade of dazzling costumes held together by glitter and feathers.

Matthew Brady as Lola and Liam Kelly as Charlie lead the cast with consummate ease.

The strong cast of principals Caitlin Garner, Gareth Grainger, Matt Mercer, Marcus Hovey and Liz Hardiman balance perfectly balance the production.

The ensemble is a major component of Kinky Boots, and the vocal quality is of an exceptional standard.

Kinky Boots has satisfied audiences wherever in the world it has played. It appeals to a broad-based audience, and is even more popular since drag-shows have become part of mainstream, primetime television viewing.

This production serves the book and music well. It has some wonderful songs, and bounces along at pace – which is exactly how it should be played.

Community theatre is an important ingredient in any town or city. Kinky Boots has a cast of 40-plus, and a crew and support team of about another 50, all of whom lend their considerable talents to bring this $250,000 production to the stage.

For 10 years-plus Dr Michael Whitehead has filled the role of producer for Lyric Theatre. His commitment to the organisation is to be applauded, and without such generosity of spirit local theatre companies would not exist.

Kinky Boots is the first production to be mounted at HMT since the $20 million refurbishment.