Ah truly, there’s no business quite like shoe business. Feel-good and foot-stomping, Kinky Boots in the Regent on Broadway kicks considerable butt with its free-flowing exuberance and energy. On opening night, the show also eventually managed to coax a standing ovation from large portions of a notoriously difficult-to-impress Palmy audience. That’s just one of the achievements this production is entitled to chalk up.

As interpreted by Girls Just Wanna Have Fun chum Cyndi Lauper, the musical tells how a foundering, down-at-heel (ahem) Northampton, England shoe factory attained a market ’re-boot’. Based on a true story, Lauper and her confederates also manage to put a new spin on a couple of tales by the Brothers Grimm, mashing together elements of The Elves and the Shoemaker and Cinderella.

A multi award-winning musical, Kinky Boots became a stage hit early last decade, so it’s impressive to see it in full riot on stage here so soon.  And as a prelude to October’s Palmy Drag Fest, its season couldn’t be more timely.

When against his wishes and better judgement Charlie Price becomes responsible for restoring the fortunes of a failing family footwear firm, his attempts to defend a woman from a London street mugging is serendipitous. The ‘woman’ is none other than Lola, a savvy drag-queen cabaret diva who, it just so happens, has problems finding flashy but durable high-heeled boots.

Charlie takes Lola back to Northampton to design a rescue range of sexy thigh-high show-biz heels in time for the Milan Fashion Show. Let’s just say that this course of vocational true love doesn’t run smooth. The show explores the ups and many downs of this relationship, as well as the reactions of Charlie’s job-threatened working-class factory ‘elves’, and also from Nicola – his ambitious go-getter girlfriend. Turns out, Charlie and Lola have more in common than they realise – both are resisting the demands and expectations of their pushy fathers.

Now in any Cinderella story, there has to be a fairy godmother, and the magic here comes from company professional Paul Fagamalo as Lola – aka “Simon from Clacton”. “Braggaty cissy boy” Lola, the trained son of a prize-fighter, has carved out a successful niche in the world of drag entertainment.

Channelling an inner Tina Turner, Fagamalo is not only a master of the ‘flam and glam’ with all the poise, moves and a ‘rockaria’ vocal range, but can also pull his character’s personality right back, showing sensitivity and humility. This is especially apparent during Lola’s efforts to fit in with the northern factory crowd by dressing down and acting ‘normal’. There’s also the heartfelt and affecting ‘Hold Me in Your Heart’ that Lola performs at his dying father’s rest home. Throughout, Fagamalo not only sets a high performance standard but shows plenty of generosity towards his fellow community cast members.

Local, Lyndsay Yeo continues to make great progress in musical theatre. Complementing Lola, the role of strait-laced Charlie – ‘Prince’ and heir to the Price family shoebox – fits Yeo like a well-made pair of brogues. He portrays the temperamental, self-doubting and career-choice conflicted ‘Mr Price’ with a well-pitched vocal dexterity and intensity, accompanied by convincing angst.

Kinky Boots has plenty of roles for established and emerging local talents. Among those making the most of this opportunity are Tamzin Price as a winsome Lauren, Keiran Murphy’s folksong singing Harry, a pugnacious Jayden Colban as Don, Erica Ward’s stroppy Trish, Milana Mariu-Reade as an emotionally manipulating Nicola, and the colourful bevy of Lola’s ‘transgentry’ Angels. 

Kinky Boots is a show with heart and (dare I say it) soles, humanity, and humour. Auckland and Waikato-based director Richard Neame and his production team underpin this entertaining frolic with sound performance values, slick scene changes and lighting cues, and plenty of pace. There may have been a minor stutter or two and the odd slice of overcooked music mix, but these were fairly fluently resolved.

Backed by a tight and tuneful 11-piece band, Kinky Boots has all the grooves and the moves, the coifs and the cossies, the appeal and warmth to welcome in spring with a high-stepping froufrou fling.

Go along, have fun and dare to let these kinky boots ‘walk all over you’. These boots be made for loving and that’s just what you’ll do.

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