There’s always a great buzz about a production at the Isaac Theatre Royal, and Kinky Boots is no exception. Attending the Sunday afternoon matinee, I’m excited to see a fairly full house getting behind this local production.

Having previously seen the fully professional production of Kinky Boots in Melbourne in 2016, I come with high expectations. Kinky Boots is a show I’d fallen in love with for its high energy dance numbers, sparkly costumes, and heartwarming storyline. My expectations are balanced with the knowledge Showbiz productions are technically amateur (meaning the cast and crew are unpaid volunteers), but with a cast member brought over from Australia, and a lineup of some of Christchurch’s experienced and emerging professional performers, this seemed to be a bit of a mix.

Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits his father’s Northampton shoe factory on the brink of going bust. A chance meeting with drag queen Lola inspires Charlie to start making boots for drag queens at the factory, saving the jobs of the workers.

The set is grand, transporting us from the Price and Son’s factory, to a London pub, to Lola’s bar with clever moving parts. Throughout the show the set and props serve their purpose well, providing a canvas for the story, without distracting from the action.

I’m a little disappointed the first time we see the Angels (Lola’s supporting drag queens), as the number ‘Land of Lola’ feels low on energy and the choreography a little weak. But the Angels’ performances only get better as the show goes on, culminating in the finale with truly spectacular costumes, and high energy dancing from the whole cast. I’ve seen a number of the Angels in other productions, and I don’t think this choreography truly capitalises on their dance talents. I must give special mention to Jack Shatford for their boundless energy and brilliant facials throughout.

The ensemble are strong throughout the show, with rich harmonies filling the theatre. There are moments where the band and ensemble seem to overpower the soloists, particularly when Young Simon (Akwasi Ohene-Gyan Akoto) and Young Charlie (Frankie Domigan) are onstage. There are a number of good performances from the supporting characters in the factory with particular mention for Oscar Days as Don. Oscar plays into the grumpy character well, taking us on a great emotional journey and delivering powerhouse vocals.

Cameron Douglas (no relation) provides the brilliant performance you would expect from one of Christchurch’s finest musical theatre performers. I’ve seen Cameron onstage in a number of Court Theatre musicals, and this role feels like the perfect fit. He is vocally on point and executes Charlie’s emotional range well. The audience is clearly taken on the journey to the point where Charlie is easy to dislike, before he recognises his own flaws. A+ casting.

Sophie Harris gives a standout performance as dorky factory worker-turned-executive, Lauren. Her comic timing and awkwardness are perfect, with a stellar performance of ‘The History of Wrong Guys’. Sophie is truly a bright new star in the Ōtautahi musical theatre scene.

Euan Fistrovic Doige as Lola is flawless, the level of performance you expect from a performer of his calibre. With 10 years professionally performing in Australia under his belt, Euan performed as one of the Angels in the production of Kinky Boots I saw in Melbourne, as well as covering the role of Lola. Fabulous and striking, Lola demands attention, but we also see a tender side of Lola, particularly in ‘Not My Father’s Son’.

As the staging is similar, I can’t help but draw comparisons to the 2016 production of Kinky Boots I saw. I undoubtedly enjoy Showbiz’s production, but can’t help but notice the things that are missing. I miss the calibre of dance choreography for the Angels, and the clever use of dance on top of the conveyor belts I’d seen in Melbourne. I’m left questioning whether Kinky Boots was simply too ambitious of a production to choose for an amateur theatre company. But, had I not been fixated on this previous experience, I think I would have come away impressed and uplifted, as intended by the spirit of Kinky Boots.

Amateur theatre absolutely has a place on our stages, but the level of talent shown in Kinky Boots, along with the production value of set, costumes, lighting and sound, has a lot of crossover with professional musicals I have seen. Which leaves me with the question of “why aren’t these artists being paid?”

With all that said, I highly recommend getting along to Kinky Boots for some high octane, heartwarming entertainment. It’s important now, more than ever, to support the arts in all forms.

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