Last week I attended the media opening night (and South African premiere!) of Kinky Boots which is currently showing at Cape Town’s most beautiful theatre, The Fugard (Caledon St, District 6).
Kinky Boots is a smash-hit musical based on a book by Harvey Fierstein, with music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper (love her), which has pretty much won every best musical award one possibly can – think 3 Olivier Awards, 6 Tony Awards & even a Grammy.
Now in SA for the first time, this brand new, completely original production is directed by Matthew Wild who you’ll know from previous Fugard Theatre hits including the award-winning The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, Funny Girl and West Side Story.
Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price who reluctantly inherits his father’s shoe factory, Price & Son. But with the business on the verge of bankruptcy, Charlie is in need of a new idea to help save it and keep his father’s legacy alive.
Charlie finds inspiration through a chance meeting with Lola, a fabulous cabaret performer (and queen of the drag queens) in need of some sturdy stilettos…
As they work together to design a sexy new range of stiletto boots which they hope will turn the factory around, this unlikely pair realise that they have way more in common than anybody would have ever thought, and that by being open to changing one’s preconceived perceptions of someone, what you’re actually doing is opening yourself up to changing the world as you know it, and for the better.
It’s a beautiful, yet seriously fun story about acceptance and openness which will have you captivated from the first second right up until the very last. This really was my personal theatre highlight of the year (hell even the last couple of years – quite possibly even since I watched Rocky Horror at The Fugard way back when).
In the lead roles you have Darren Craig (Grease, High School Musical) as Charlie Price, with Earl Gregory (Into the Woods, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) filling the role of Lola. The rest of the cast consists of a fantastic group of extremely talented local performers, some of which you may recocnise from previous stage productions, who all bring impressive singing, dancing & acting chops to the table.
Apart from incredible direction & performances all round, all of the other elements from the music, to costume design, lighting & set design all come together absolutely perfectly. It’s literally a feast for both the eyes and ears & therefore I also have to give a big virtual high-5 to the team behind the scenes:
- Charl-Johan Lingenfelder ( Musical Direction)
- Louisa Talbot (Choreography )
- Birrie Le Roux (Costume design)
- Paul Wills (Set Design)
- Tim Mitchell (Lighting Design)
- Mark Malherbe (Sound Design)
Kinky Boots is performed at the Fugard Theatre Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8pm with a matinee performance on Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm.
Due to the HUGE popularity of the show, they have extended their run to 02 February 2020, but don’t delay because seats selling out fast. Tickets can be booked directly through the Fugard Theatre box office on 021 461 4554 or via www.thefugard.com.
Here are some of the other need-to-knows:
- Ticket prices: Range from R220 to R470
- Discounts: 20% discount available for all Friends of The Fugard members (for certain performances and seating), a 15% discount for pensioners and 10% discount for students and block bookings. For these discounts, please book via their box office.
- Recommended age restriction: 10 yrs and older with parental supervision.
Also a hot tip: Get there early to enjoy a drink in their cosy ground-floor bar for a before the show. If the weather’s good, you can also enjoy some panoramic city views from the their rooftop bar.
So yeah, what are you waiting for people!? Book those seats now! You’ll likely want to go and see it a couple of times, so be prepared to fall head over heels (in your Kinky Boots of course). 😉
xxx
** This was a media invite **