The winner of every major Best Musical award, Kinky Boots stomped its way into the Liverpool Empire this week.
With a catchy soundtrack by Grammy award winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper and slick choreography from Jerry Mitchell, it’s no surprise that the production is making an impression on audiences across the world.
Kinky Boots, which is inspired by true events, tells the tale of a struggling shoe factory, Price & Sons, that faces closure.
With the future of the family business and workers jobs hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely form of Lola, a drag performer.
Lola helps turn the fate of the Price & Sons by designing sturdy but beautiful stiletto shoes to cater to the drag community - and so Kinky Boots is born.
But of course, the show isn't simply about shoes - it also highlights the importance of acceptance and friendship.
Kinky Boots makes its own category of musical and falls somewhere in between a typically British production (similar to that of Billy Elliot and the Full Monty) and a sparky, cheesy, sexy Broadway musical (think Wicked and Chicago).
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Both these elements are represented perfectly by the two lead roles Charlie Price, (played by Joel Harper-Jackson) and Lola (played by Kayi Ushe) who find that while they’re two very different people, they have a lot more in common than they believed at first.
Joel Harper-Jackson has mastered the role of Charlie and he skillfully took the Liverpool audience on a journey through Charlie’s highs and lows.
While Joel carried the show from start to finish, sparks really flew when Kayi Ushe burst onto the stage as Lola.
Kayi revved the performance up a notch with his ability to capture the audience whenever he was on stage.
While his presentation wows the crowds thanks to his outstanding vocal range and captivating mannerisms, Kayi did not over dramatise the character of Lola.
Former Coronation Street actress Paula Lane, who played Lauren, was a breath of fresh air and proved that she is a comedy star to be reckoned with.
Individually, the actors were incredible, and together the cast was one of the best I've seen work as an ensemble.
With Drag Queens dancing on spinning conveyor belts in six inch heels during the major musical numbers, the cast put on a knockout performance.
In fact, the production came into its own during those exciting moments and had the audience guessing what impressive dance move and transition would come next.
A true feel good production with an important message - you’ll laugh and cry at Kinky Boots.
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Kinky Boots runs at the Liverpool Empire until April 6 and tickets are available from ATGTickets.com .
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