By: Cathryn Macey
Johannes Radebe swaps the glitter ball for sky high heels in this delightful new version of Kinky Boots. Strutting into Plymouth until Saturday, Strictly’s Johannes is joined by the delightful Dan Partridge and they both give this well-established musical a bit of a re-boot!
Kinky Boots follows the high and lows of Charlie’s (Dan Partridge) life after he inherits a shoe factory. Charlie grew up in Northamptonshire but dreams of moving to London with his ambitious and somewhat superficial fiancé, Nicola (Kara Lily Hayworth). However, his plans are soon scuppered when his father dies suddenly leaving Charlie with no choice but to step in and manage his dad’s dwindling shoe making business.
If Charlie can’t make the factory more profitable, there’s a good chance that it will have to close. Thankfully, a chance encounter with a wobbly drag queen, Lola, (Johannes Radebe) inspires Charlie to cater for a new market but are his small-town team ready for such a rapid departure from their regular client base?
This really is heart-warming musical theatre at its best. Director Nikolai Foster and choreographer Leah Hill bring out the best in all performers. The show features a relatively large ensemble cast and consequently it starts with a bang! Most of the cast appear working, singing and dancing in Mr Price’s factory during the opening number, “The Most Beautiful Thing In The World“.
The set, like the cast size, is big. Dressed in traditional looking grey flat caps and unflattering green tabards, the impressive ensemble cast look every inch the loyal, practical workers Charlie grew up with. Similarly, the realistic looking set is deliberately outdated to represent the idea that the business, in its current guise, has had its day.
Skilfully transforming the stage from drab to fab in a matter of milliseconds, Robert Jones’ set and costume design quickly transport us from the fraught world of the workshop to the glamourous land of Lola. Lola is joined by her delightful entourage, The Angels. Collectively, their stunning red sequinned outfits pop; they’re a world away from the fuddy-duddy factory Charlie is used to.
Visually delightful, Lola’s entrance is also incredibly sassy and bold. The atmosphere these girls provide is electric and the bold red colour they adorn themselves in becomes the colour of the boots Lola and Charlie later design. As Lola herself remarks “Red is for sex…. burgundy is for cardigans.”
Johannes holds the audience in the palm of his hand. More camp and charismatic than other incarnations of Lola I’ve seen before, he is completely captivating. His biceps ripple tantalisingly, his smile is dazzling and his moves are all on point. None of this is surprising for a dancer of Johannes’ calibre. However, his voice is a real surprise.
In “I’m Not My Father’s Son”, Johannes proves that he is a talented singer. Dressed as Simon, and not Lola, his rendition of this song is evidence of Johannes’ ability to connect with the audience on a deeper level; he pours his heart and soul into this number and Simon’s character seems very vulnerable. This, of course, is the polar opposite of the personality he projects when in drag as Lola.
At the end of this heartfelt ballad – all songs are written by Cyndi Lauper – Johannes and Charlie embrace with both men acknowledging the fact that, despite their differences, they’re actually “Both The Same.” Charlie and Lola/Simon’s ability to set aside their differences and acknowledge common ground is very moving to experience. At a time when discussion about LGBTQ+ rights often feels heated and divisive, their respect for one another is refreshing.
Dan Partridge is equally as impressive in his role as a young man struggling to adapt to his new role as a factory manager, is playful in his role as Charlie and has a knack for the show’s soulful numbers like Soul Of A Man. Like Johannes, his delivery of Cyndi Lauper’s lyrics feels very authentic. His acting style is well polished too and his extensive experience starring in shows like Grease, Mamma Mia! and Evita really shines through.
An unexpected audience favourite tonight is George (Scott Paige). In the gloriously camp second act, grumpy foreman George stuns the audience with his flamboyant outfit, complete with a jaunty beret. There is something so wonderful about this unlikely and unexpected transformation that the audience erupt into spontaneous applause when he struts into action during the boots’ dramatic debut at Milan fashion week.
The show’s finale is a fun celebration of embracing our differences. The colour red sweeps the stage and the whole cast end up modelling the beautiful boots Lola designed.
This is one of those kind of shows where the cast end up looking as though they are enjoying it as much as the audience and the entire Lyric theatre is quickly up on its feet dancing. As every bit as joyful as last year’s The Devil Wears Prada, Kinky Boots is well worth catching while you can!