LAST night I went along to the opening night of the Darlington OS’s newest musical production “Kinky Boots” and it was by far their best show yet!
Based on a movie from 2005 it follows the true story of Charlie Price who reluctantly inherits a shoe factory following the death of his father.
Hit with the reality that it is on the brink of closure he travels to London in a bid to sell off the surplus stock and save the loyal workforce, this is where he meets a flamboyant drag queen called Lola and his life changes forever as they embark on a journey to save the ailing shoe factory from closure by making boots with stronger heels for drag queens.
The unlikely duo are taken on a journey of self-discovery, Lola and the vulnerability of her real identity as Simon and his struggle to get people to accept him for who he is.
There were some fabulous moments in the show where Lola is fearless and funny as she deals with the burly men of the factory and how prejudice was overcome.
Ben Connor was truly magnificent and his portrayal of Charlie was gritty and real, I have had the pleasure of watching Ben in lots of Hippodrome shows and he simply gets better and better.
Lola is portrayed by Leighton Taylor Jones and he did this with such passion and emotion, he really embodied the character and made his performance raw and real, Lola’s one liners dropped every time and kept the audience alive.
The stars of the show for me were the Angels with their numerous costume changes and complex dance routines. They truly brought the production to life and I will forever be in awe of how they performed those routines in six-inch heels.
It really felt like Darlington OS have taken things to the next level, the staging, props, costumes and choreography felt nothing short of a West End production.
It truly was a fabulous evening, so much so that I may even come back for another night to see it all over again.
Sam Linfoot
Kinky Boots is at Darlington Hippodrome until Saturday, May 11. Visit darlingtonos.org.uk or call the ticket hotline on 01325 244659 for tickets.
Pictures- Scott Akoz Photography
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