Review: Kinky Boots at Darlington Hippodrome
Kinky Boots – Wednesday 1st May 2024
Last night we had the absolute pleasure of attending the wonderful Darlington Hippodrome. A theatre which I am personally, very familiar with and have had the pleasure of visiting many times growing up. A few years ago it went under a serious renovation and it is sparkling with new life and energy. The route into the theatre is filled with posters from years gone by and a variety of different props and costumes that have performed in the theatre. You can certainly never be bored when roaming the building before the performance. It is an incredibly accessible venue and we were instantly greeted with the big smiles of the DOS family who were ready to go for their two week stint of the iconic Kinky Boots.
I am a huge fan of Darlington Operatic Society and have been to see their last six shows and every time I have been impressed with their stagecraft and professionalism. This is just a reminder that DOS are still an amateur society but of the highest quality and they just make theatre so exciting. I often forget I am not watching a professional show when I attend one of theirs because everything is just so slick and well rehearsed. I had incredibly high hopes for the evening ahead. They do have two exciting shows coming up with Made in Dagenham and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie so the future is looking bright for DOS.
Kinky Boots is based all around our lead character Charlie Price who inherits his fathers shoe factory after his sudden death. Things quickly take a turn for the worst as business begins to fail but Charlie comes up with an ingenious idea to save his family’s legacy with the help from the unlikely hero, drag queen extraordinaire, Lola. This wonderful and heartwarming story is based on true events. The score is one of the best, in my opinion, and the music and lyrics are written by Cyndi Lauper.
I loved that Darlington decided to bring the scary Don on stage to tell us to all turn off our mobile phones before the show began. We are introduced straight away to a Young Charlie and Lola with their fathers with the gorgeous song ‘The Most Beautiful Thing in the World.’ Julian Cound, the DOS Chairman, did a stellar job of playing Mr. Price and sang with such clarity. The two children, Alfie Webster and Arthur Martin also sang so beautifully with real sweetness to their voices. They definitely have mastered walking in heels better than me already too!
In the opening number the curtain revealed all of our chorus members singing their heart out to the beautiful song in the factory. The costuming was simple yet effective with their casual clothes and aprons and this really added to helping this show feel like real life. You could really hear how much time and craftsmanship had gone into these chorus numbers as you could hear all of the harmonies and they all looked like they were having so much fun. Such brilliant comradery on stage with their huge beaming smiles – it always makes a difference.
The staging was simply beautiful with the Price and Sons signage and workshop with their stained glass windows. They cleverly maneuvered the scenery with slick changes and although some parts were simple it never deterred from what was happening on stage – you could clearly tell which settings were which. I loved the dropped tabs for Lola’s nightclub – the red glitter really gave all the pizazz we needed.
Ben Connor was our Charlie Price for the evening – I would love to go back and see the alternate Nicholas Fletcher Holmes perform as him too but it was nice to see him involved on stage still. As always Ben gave a strong performance and his personality shone through with this role although I did miss those killer dance moves we usually get to see. This was a very different role for Ben which I was impressed with. His stage timings and delivery of lines were well thought out and he knows how to work his audience.
His childhood sweetheart Nicola was played well by Ellen Dunbavin. She looked stunning on stage and gave a strong vocal performance and had the energy of this character down. She had lovely clear diction and didn’t make the character too unlikeable which I have seen before.
Some of the greatest parts are hidden within the chorus and Jordan Hamilton- Leighton played the charming and adorable George perfectly. Slightly geeky but undeniably loyal and fantastic to watch on stage. Trish was played brilliantly by Claire Wilmer alongside Pat played by Katie Spencer. These two really shone with their hilarious acting and killer singing. But a special mention had to go to Luke Oldfield who played resident work bad guy Don. He had such a powerful singing voice and played the part with the perfect balance of good and evil. He also slayed in those boots at the end.
Lola, or Simon from Clacton, was played by Leighton Taylor- Jones and this powerhouse is not to be messed with. He oozed personality out of every part of him- effortlessly funny, likeable and incredibly sexy. The sex IS in the heel don’t you know. He wowed us from the off with Land of Lola alongside his incredible angels. He gave such wonderful execution of his lines and his singing was just top tier- a true masterclass of how to work a stage.
The angels just gave boundless energy throughout with their slick choreography and their costumes were just spectacular- an explosion of colour and sequins all fitting them like a glove. A special shout-out to Darien Wright, who I believe to be one of the best dancers I’ve seen grace a stage. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.
My final cast shout out had to be to the outstanding Lucy Adams who played Lauren. Her accent was so spot on and she just is a joy to watch upon stage. Her song ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ is just so fun and she acted the hell out of it. Everyone around me was incredibly amused by her and she really excelled in this role. This is my favourite part of the show leading into the beautiful ‘Not my Fathers Son’. Leighton sang this with such raw passion and grit and I truly felt he meant every word of it. Tears all around from this meaningful and vulnerable song from our two leading men.
The end of act one was a huge production filled with drama, dancing and terrific singing with Everybody say Yeah. This left an exciting buzz in the audience ready for Act Two.
During Act Two, we were treated to In this Corner, where the fight scene was expertly choreographed and delivered by Don and Lola. I loved the use of elastic to create the boxing ring and the slow- mo choreography.
Reaching the end of the show our two leads delivered Soul of a Man and Hold me in your Heart. Such powerful vocal performances from both Ben and Leighton which really showcased how much talent they both have. The end of the show came with Raise you Up where we get to see the incredible boots on display in none other than Milan. The stage was filled with fire and energy as they dazzled us for the final time.
Director, Joanne Hand, should be incredibly proud of what her wonderful cast put onto that stage in the Hippodrome last night as she guided them to success. A wonderful evening. I will say, it was a little difficult to hear some of the quieter parts of songs so I am hoping they manage to level this out with the mics/ band.
A touching, fierce and feel good show delivered once again by Darlington OS. Definitely not a one to be missed!
Review by Robyn McGough
Photos: Scott Akoz Photography