Kinky Boots

IT WAS third time lucky for this production to finally open at the Townsville Civic Theatre. The floods of 2019 forced the cancellation of the original production and just one week before it was due to open in 2020, COVID forced the second production to be postponed indefinitely.

So, after some cast changes and a magnificent new set, it was no doubt with some relief that the curtain finally rose on 5 October on the local premiere of this musical, which was conceived in 2006, premiered on Broadway in 2013 (earning six Tony awards including Best Musical), then had a West End run which scored it a Laurence Olivier Award in 2016.

Based on the delightful 2005 “straight” (as in non-musical!) film – in itself inspired by true-life events – it tells the story of a nearly bankrupt regional British shoe factory which revives itself by specialising in manufacturing lavish boots designed for drag queens. It is against this backdrop that the musical was written by Harvey Fierstein (remembered chiefly for his play – and film - Torch Song Trilogy) and music and lyrics by 80s pop star Cyndi Lauper.

The key to the success (or otherwise) of any production of this musical lies in the casting of the three principals – Lola (Jeremiah Pau), Charlie Price (Sam Taylor) and Lauren (Jodie Bell) – and in this director Michelle Higgins succeeded.

In the most challenging role in the play – and probably his most demanding role to date (not to mention displaying a pair of legs that would be the envy of Tina Turner) – Jeremiah Pau gave his all as Lola/Simon, the drag queen who becomes the shoe designer for the ailing factory. A delightful portrayal, he somehow managed to play a drag queen without the slightest campiness, imbuing the character with a certain je ne sais quoi that invited the audience along for the ride. Two of his songs – Act One’s “Not My Father’s Son” (duet with Sam Taylor) and Act Two’s affecting “Hold Me in Your Heart” – were standouts.

Not only does Sam Taylor have a magnificent voice – he positively soared in the Act Two song “The Soul of a Man” – but he also has a relaxed stage demeanour and significant stage presence which makes him eminently watchable. He was clearly more than equal to the demands of the role, and this is a young actor who we will hopefully see a great deal more of in the future.

Jodie Bell is possibly one of Townsville theatre’s finest comediennes and she can always be relied upon to “produce the goods”. Her characters are always fully-rounded and she was a sheer delight as Lauren, channelling her best Cyndi Lauper in the song “The History of Wrong Guys”. (Indeed, I did expect her to jump into an impromptu rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, but alas….!)

Of particular note in the supporting cast of eight drag queens were Shaughan Pegagoraro (Natalie Aussiepova) and the acrobatics of Connor De-Campo (Ko-Kane Kate). How they all moved in the impossible footwear is a feat in itself!

The pace of the show was a bit slow to start, but once Lola stepped on stage, the mayhem began and the cast became increasingly infected with the exuberance of the piece. Interestingly, there are no major hit songs from the score, which always contributes to the audience’s appreciation of any show, but the songs are carried with such joie de vivre and enthusiasm that only the most rigid of people would remain unmoved.

Mark Smith’s musical direction was customarily tight and the eight-piece band performed the 80s-infused score with verve and vigour.

Special mention, however, should be made of the set and costumes. The set was one of the best we have seen in local musical theatre for some time, while the elaborate drag costumes (some with lighting effects) were suitably over the top – not to mention the array of extravagant footwear that everyone sported in the final scene.

Trevor Keeling

Photographs by Sapphire Soul Photography