Kinky Boots – Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company
Lichfield Garrick Theatre
Monday 20th May 2024 – Dress Rehearsal
By Nigel Gambles
Photography – Studio 55 Photography
Ever since Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company (SCMTC) announced they were taking on the production of ‘Kinky Boots’, I have really been looking forward to it (I’ve never seen it before). Following their superb ‘Shrek’ last year, I was sure that the audience were in for something special with this feel-good story from the pen of Tim Firth – and I was definitely not disappointed.
The story tells the tale of Charlie Price who is thrust into the running and ownership of his family’s shoe business – Price and Co following the unexpected death of his father. Unbeknown to him, the company is not doing well and a chance meeting with a drag queen Lola puts the seed of an idea in Charlie’s mind about how he may revive the company’s fortunes and save the jobs of the workers.
Patrick Jervis and Daniel Surj are outstanding in the roles of Charlie Price and Lola aka Simon and they both sing the roles with heart, honesty, and warmth. The nuances that they bring to the roles is not to be underestimated, this takes significant acting skill. Charlie battles his own demons and Patrick captures this sensitively with his acting and singing performances. It is very easy to overdo the role of Lola down to the cross-dressing element – and to play it for laughs. Daniel brings the sassy, comedic warmth to the character while maintaining the sense of torment and resentment Simon carries with him from the rejection he got from his father as a younger man. Charlotte Jervis also gave a brilliant performance of Lauren, and really embodied her character and her performance of ‘Wrong Guys’ was fantastic and had the audience in stitches as the loved-up worker chased after Charlie.
Kerrie Penrice as director in her first production for SCMTC draws on her experience directing for the youth company to bring the story to the audience and the show stopping dance numbers choreographed by Maggie Jackson are superb. Land of Lola and the finale of act one are as accomplished as any professional production that I have seen.
The set, costumes and props are all appropriate and would not look out of place in a touring production.The lighting by Going DarkTheatrical Services is glitzy and glamourous as it should be when appropriate.
There is not a weak link in this performance from the two boys who played the younger incarnations of Charlie (Ewan Tall) and Simon (Joe Thomas) alongside Mr Price Sr (John Johnson) and Simon’s Dad (Mark Wright) through all the magnificent angels including all the factory workers. Particular praise goes to Paul Lumsden who performed the unenviable role of roughty toughty straight man, Don, and Sarah Jordan in her role as the equally unlikeable Nicola.
The night ended with the entire cast wearing the iconic kinky boots and strutting their stuff
The performance would not be complete without the superb orchestra who were outstanding and brilliant, Musical Director Sheila Pearson and Musical Director/Conductor Andy Timmins.
