Kinky Boots, Musical Theatre Salisbury Review

Written by Charlotte for Theatre and Tonic.

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Musical Theatre Salisbury, which has existed in the Wiltshire city for over 100 years, are known for putting on professional-standard musicals that wow audiences with great sets, costumes, and excellent performances — and their production of Kinky Boots, currently on at Salisbury Playhouse, is no different.

Kinky Boots, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein, is based on the true story of Price & Sons, a multi-generation shoe factory in Northampton. When Charlie Price reluctantly inherits his father's factory on the verge of bankruptcy, he struggles to live up to his legacy—but this all changes when he finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a London drag queen. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible.

The biggest thing that blows the audience away with this production is the impressive talent of the cast, with some audience members even mistaking it for a professional touring production. The whole cast shines, from the principals to the ensemble, but particular stars of the show are Josh Bradley (Charlie Price), Dave Simmons (Lola), and Arabella Dougherty (Lauren). Charlie and Lola both have moments of joy as well as darker moments of despair or anxiety, and both actors convey every emotion with depth and believability. Meanwhile, Lauren is more of a comic relief character who also plays a vital role in encouraging Charlie to find a new niche and transform the factory, and for this, Arabella is perfectly cast.

Highlights from their performances include Soul of a Man, Charlie Price’s ballad as he grapples with the struggles of living up to his father’s name, and The History of Wrong Guys, a great comedic number in which Lauren deals with her unexpected and growing crush on Charlie. For Lola, there are so many highlights that it’s difficult to choose! There are colourful, joyous moments when she performs with the Angels, her backup troupe of drag queens (who are brought to life by the multi-talented Emily Wilton, Jonathan Hayden, Isla Moir, Anwen Howells, Hannah Lockwood, and Katie Hankins), but also more emotional numbers like Not My Father’s Son and Hold Me in Your Heart, which Dave Simmons performs with such stage presence that he has the audience hanging on to his every word.

This colourful, lively musical celebrates how important it is to see the value in people, no matter how they identify or choose to present themselves. It’s about how if you see outside of your own experience and allow yourself to change your mind about someone, you might just change your life. 

Musical Theatre Salisbury have done an excellent job bringing this show to life, and despite a few small mic issues on the night and a couple of moments when the music drowned out some of the vocals or dialogue, the show felt seamless and audience members left feeling delighted. If you can get to Salisbury Playhouse in the next few days, it’s definitely worth seeing—but hurry, as tickets are selling fast!

At Salisbury Playhouse until Saturday 29th June.

★ ★ ★ ★