The energy throughout Kinky Boots was breathtaking. It was so extremely full of life, that the whole auditorium seemed to have a pulse of its own. The infectious vibe was outrageously sassy – cheeky; never crude. This balanced well with the heavier moments in the show: these moments were placed so that they didn't drag, or stop the show from being, overall, very positive; they did, however, add a lot of profound significance to the story.
Matt Henry, playing Lola, was absolutely flawless in his performance. As Lola, Matt was incredibly fun and, I have to say, really sexy. The character of Lola really redefined cross-dressing, for me. Matt entirely owned the stage, from start to finish. He never let his energy lapse, or his flamboyance waver. And yet, he showed the insecurity of Lola extremely well – what a range, to be able to make the audience laugh at one moment and cry the next.
Charlie Price was played by Killian Donnelly who, like Matt Henry, was exceptionally good at portraying his fundamental insecurities. Killian Donnely also presented an extremely impressive acting range – again, he was able to have a lot of fun with the audience, whilst retaining the power to move them on a more profound level.
The rest of the Kinky Boots cast were also fantastic. Lola's Angels made an impressive group – they sounded and looked incredible. Again, flawless. Amy Lennox, who played Lauren, was a favourite of mine. She was very funny, and her main song was one of the best in the show. Nicola, played by Amy Ross, was particularly good at not coming across as 'the bad guy'. She presented a realistic, likeable character; we were certainly not led to resent her for her choices. Don was another impressive character. Played by Jamie Baughan, he effortlessly toyed with the audience's feelings, and acted as the perfect contrast to Lola.
The ensemble and the other, smaller parts were all essential to the overall show. It takes an entire cast, not just principal actors, to create such an energy. Chlöe Hart stood at as particularly brilliant in her various roles, but I really could not fault any of the performances.
Costume played an absolutely essential role within this production: it had to be fantastic, and it was. Similarly, the set and choreography (interlinking a lot throughout the show) accentuated and increased the fabulous vibe of the show as a whole.
The music in Kinky Boots was, suitably, very full of life. The songs were also extremely catchy ("The Sex Is In The Heel" has been in my head for days) and Lola's performances, in particular, stood out as absolutely fabulous. I have already mentioned Lauren's song, but I will again simply because it was so fantastically fun.
All in all, this production was flawless, infectiously energetic, and therefore comes highly recommended for absolutely anybody. It has to be one of the best things on in London at the moment. So go and see Kinky Boots! I promise you, you will love it.