Kinky Boots the Musical is the stage adaptation of the film—based on a true story—of the same name. Charlie Price, played with charisma and enthusiasm by Roscoe Lloyd, inherits his father’s shoe factory after a sudden passing. When the factory runs into trouble, it’s up to Charlie to find a bold solution to save it from closure or, worse, redevelopment. After a chance encounter with a drag queen named Lola, Charlie has the ambitious and challenging idea of creating boots for… well… men, but as Charlie puts it, “the other kind”: drag queens.

Lola, played with panache and attitude by Ember Sunnucks, joins the project, and that’s where the story truly comes alive. Lola and Charlie embark on a journey of self-discovery, self-love, and acceptance. To save the factory for good, they decide to debut their new boots in Milan—the fashion capital of Europe—relying on courage, ambition, and Lola’s fabulous Kinky Boots to keep the business afloat.

Ember Sunnucks, as Lola, hit the ground running. Lola’s presence on stage was impossible to miss; she commanded the audience’s attention with confidence. Ember’s dance ability was a joy to watch and added so much to the Diva’s character.

Ruby Clarke, as Lauren, was possibly the biggest scene-stealer of the entire show. Her solo number and reprise, “The History of Wrong Guys,” was a true showstopper. Her characterisation was wonderfully entertaining—Lauren absolutely nailed her role.

The dance troupe were wonderful to watch. Their energy, facial expressions, and clean lines were impressive, and it’s clear there are some stars in the making within this theatre company. Everyone knew the words, and there were some harmonies, While TheatreTrain are to be applauded for including as many young people in their cast as possible, this did result at times in the stage looking a little overcrowded, especially with the very large set, in some of the big chorus numbers.

Having said that, the staging was well designed and helped set the tone effectively, with clever use of the set and space to shift between scenes. Lowering the raised office level and hanging the curtain drapes slightly higher so they did not cast shadows on the children’s faces would have enhanced the audience’s appreciation of what was a great visual show.

As with so many shows, sound was the area that let the cast down: in Charlie’s solo “The Soul of a Man,” Roscoe delivered a powerful performance, but the backing vocals overwhelmed the emotional moment.

Theatretrain are rightly known and celebrated for their large-scale productions, and I congratulate the children on a high-energy, clearly hard-worked performance. The talented young performers were visibly having the time of their lives, and this should be celebrated – well done to them all.