Ingenious, well staged and dynamic

Kinky Boots

Until Sunday, April 16 South Hill Park 01344 484123 Southhillpark.org.uk

KINKY Boots the musical premiered in the US in 2012 and in the West End in 2015.

It was welcomed with much anticipation at South Hill Park this week, playing to mostly full houses.

Based on a true story, the show tells of a struggling shoe factory which achieves success when the owner, Charlie Price, collaborates with drag queen Lola to manufacture a range of flamboyant high-heeled boots.

The stirring opening number sets the scene with the principals and chorus singing about how a shoe is The Most Beautiful Thing.

Here, we first meet a young Lola who is a boy called Simon trying to please his father while nursing a desire for vibrant footwear, and a young Charlie determined to learn the shoe trade from his father.

A quick, effective jump forwards more than a decade and we see Charlie setting his sights on a high-flying career in the city while Lola now heads a troupe of talented drag queens called the Angels.

The pair meet and Lola persuades Charlie to start making sexy footwear – Lola’s Kinky Boots.

Rather than a curtain, the stage is open to the audience who have time to take in the split-level set and all the details that depict a shoe factory.

Throughout the show the set ingeniously morphs into a stage for the Angels, the inside of a pub and even a toilet.

The sound and music levels

Panto wins award

SOUTH Hill Park Arts Centre has won the Best Script prize at the UK Pantomime Association awards.

The Bracknell-based venue beat more than 700 other theatres around the country to lift the coveted prize.

Writer Joyce Branagh received the award from TV and panto star, Christopher Biggins, for her script of Jack and the Beanstalk.

WINNER: Fairy dust and panto magic at South Hill Park.

were perfectly balanced so every word of dialogue and songs could be heard.

A huge amount of talent was on display, from the strong leads to the dynamic chorus which kept the show sparkling.

Undoubtedly, the stars of the show were the Angels, led by the sassy Kyan Heywood as Lola, who gave an incredibly strong performance which had the audience on their feet.

Another triumph for the South Hill Park Community Theatre.

JUDITH CREIGHTON

In her acceptance speech, Joyce praised all the nominees and thanked the team at South Hill Park, describing it as a small theatre ‘punching above its weight’ in the cultural heart of Bracknell.

“South Hill Park is an amazing team to work with and I’d like to especially thank Jack and the Beanstalk’s director Adam Stafford,” she said.

“As any writer will know, a good director will knock your overly wordy nonsense into a lovely bit of entertainment for the whole family.” n For more details, log on to www. southhillpark.org.uk, or call the box office on 01344 484123.

This is the second win for South Hill Park, following Best Staging/Set Design in 2018 for Dick Whittington and His Cat, by Victoria Spearing.

South Hill Park was also nominated for Best Set Design for Jack and the Beanstalk.

Judges from the UK Pantomime Association’s attended 243 venues, watching 717 pantomime performances across the country, scoring the shows across categories developed in consultation with industry experts.

This year’s panto will be Sleeping Beauty, and will again be written by Joyce and directed by Adam.

It runs from Friday, November 24, to New Year’s Eve and tickets are on sale now.