Review: Kinky Boots Tour UK 2018

Last Saturday, after receiving tickets for my birthday over a year ago, I was finally able to witness the beauty that is Kinky Boots in the Theatre Royal Newcastle.  As the tickets were a gift, we had the pleasure of watching the show from ‘super seats’ in the middle of the stalls!

This was my first experience of Kinky Boots and unusually, I had no idea what to expect. Usually, before going to see a show, I thoroughly research it and listen to the soundtrack consistently until I’m sick of it! For this production, however, I only had a vague idea of the plot and I had heard one song, ‘Land of Lola’.

If you haven’t ever heard of the show, the plot follows a young man named Charlie who inherits a family owned shoe factory after the death of his father. Upon discovering the difficult financial position of the factory, and being unwilling and unable to fire the long-serving staff who had become an extension of his family, Charlie searches for a way to save the business. The miracle he needs comes in the form of ‘Lola’: a drag performer in London. After meeting in unfortunate circumstances, Charlie and Lola become friends and bond over their shared interest in the production of sturdy, fashion-forward, high-heeled boots for men!

The show is moving, funny and thoroughly feel-good. The part of Lola was played by Callum Francis who delivered an incredibly thorough and heartfelt performance. I was in awe of the talent in this show, whose ability to dance, sing and act in heels that made my feet hurt upon sight was truly a wonder.

For me, the highlight of the performance was the hilarious and beautifully executed salsa performance of ‘What a woman wants’. If you haven’t heard the soundtrack before, please do yourself a favour and listen to it now! It is such a realistic and eye-opening look into the struggles faced every day by members of the LGBTQIA community. What moved me particularly, was witnessing the burly man next to me burst into tears with his wife at the performance of ‘Not my father’s son’. This was a perfect demonstration of how, as a musical, it is unparalleled in its ability to speak to the general public and bring to light issues beyond their own experience.

In all, I found Kinky Boots to be a beautifully empathetic and highly energetic show that was worth the ticket price and more! Thank you to the amazing cast of Kinky Boots UK Tour 2018 for a fun night and lasting memory of a beautiful show!

Review: Wicked UK Tour 2018

Fellow Ozzians!

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Wicked UK Tour at Sunderland Empire Theatre and despite it being my third time seeing the show, I was once again left speechless!

For those of you who have never had the honour and privilege of seeing this show, it tells the tale of Elphaba and Glinda, the witches of Oz, during their University days. It’s an incredibly well-written show with amazing humour. I have seen the show multiple times because it is one of my mam’s favoUrites. The soundtrack is super catchy and very moving.

This time, Amy Ross (Elphaba) delivered an outstanding and spine-tingling performance and one of the best renditions of ‘No Good Deed’ I have ever heard. Her vocals were beyond belief and yet absolutely effortless. Additionally, Helen Woolf (Glinda) delivered a light-hearted and amusing performance as Glinda which changed in the second half to be incredibly moving and sincere.

Overall, this was perhaps the best performance of one of my favourite musicals that I have ever seen.  I bought the tickets almost two years ago and, (thank you past me for your dedication to the arts!) I paid a pretty penny for some excellent seats in the stalls about 5 rows from the front.

I would whole-heartedly recommend, if you are able, splashing out for good seats to this show because it really enhances the experience when you can see the facial expressions of the actors and actresses. It adds another dimension to the performance beyond simply incredible music.

I’m a big theatre fan but I have to say that Wicked is a performance I could watch day in and day out and never get tired of! The costuming is beyond perfect and the brightness of the colouring is exciting. Even the lighting in this show is memorable and it doesn’t require incredible stunts or fireworks to be perfect, it relies heavily on talent which is inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at Wicked and I even indulged in a sneaky Elphaba pre-show cocktail and a pack of stunning Wicked postcards!

If you get the chance to catch this show as it makes its rounds then I thoroughly recommend you snap it up! Make a night of it! Wear everything green! Bring green M&Ms but make sure to preorder your ice cream for the interval or you’ll pay for the expensive stuff!

Wicked is still touring the country until December 5th so do try and catch it if you can! ❤