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The Manc -
6th May 2020
The Manc -
6th May 2020 Feature
Kinky Boots’ message transcends the music at the Palace Theatre in Manchester | Review
Oli Lowe
Kinky Boots strutted into Manchester last night (bet I’m the only reviewer witty enough to come up with an opening line that original) and in doing so encapsulated an audience with its inspiring message.
I want to preface this review by stating that up until last night, I knew next to nothing about Kinky Boots.
Admittedly, even as a born and raised theatre kid, there will always be the odd musical that manages to slip through the cracks and elude me, much like a cinephile who’s never seen Jaws and, shamefully, Kinky Boots is my Jaws. Until now.
This actually gave me a huge sense of excitement going into the press night for the all-new production of Kinky Boots.
It’s very rare that I review a show that I’m not comparing to some form of source material, a different production that I’d already seen, the movie adaptation, the original cast recording, etc.
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So, to sit down last night at 7:29 absolutely clueless about what was set to unfold in front of me, was a genuine breath of fresh air.
Kinky Boots is set between the towns of Northampton, London and climatically, Milan. The story follows two lead characters Charlie Price, a Northampton boy who begins the show having just inherited his late father’s shoe manufacturing business.
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It’s a fate he’s been trying to run from since his childhood and Lola/Simon, a fierce and powerful drag queen who uses their dress sense and divaesque attitude as a shield from the outside world that wishes to, ironically, drag her down
The two collide when Charlie is inspired to save his late father’s failing business by exchanging the manufacturing of boring brogues for fabulous ‘kinky boots’ that can be fabulous, whilst fully supporting the weight of any drag queen.
Johannes Radebe – best known for being one of the professionals on Strictly Come Dancing – was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking as Lola.
I’ll be honest, celebrity castings generally put me off shows more than attract me to them; in some cases, they can feel like desperate pleas to get bums in seats (which given the current state of arts within the UK, production companies can hardly be blamed for).
However, Johannes genuinely seems born to play this role. I was expecting his dancing to be well… professional but I was intrigued to see how his vocals and acting would compare and boy, oh boy, did they compare. He didn’t miss a beat.
His acting was fierce and powerful, just as his character demanded whilst also showing real vulnerability and humility. In terms of individual performances, it’s one of the best I’ve seen at Manchester’s Palace Theatre for a long while.
The supporting cast was just as fabulous, with special shoutouts to Courtney Bowman who played the adorably loveable Lauren, whilst delivering serious powerhouse vocals and to Scott Paige who played George.
You could see through Scott’s performance a real sense of pride and shared experience with the story plus his comedic timing was absolutely impeccable, I hope to see more of him in the future.
With a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by the legendary Cyndi Lauper, I must admit it’s Harvey who carries the weight in this production.
Whilst catchy enough to tap your feet to, I didn’t leave the theatre with so much as an earworm from Cyndi’s musical offering, however, the heart and passion of the story is something I think everyone should look to experience.
Kinky Boots is about accepting people for who they are instead of seeking to change them and this show does a fantastic job of encapsulating that message, not only from the standpoint of the LGBTQ+ community but for everyone.
The show implores people to accept everyone from the fiercest drag queen to the most bullish, typical ‘blokes’ out there and the way each of those groups manages to come together by the end of the production is a testament to what can happen if we all embrace each other with open arms.
Kinky Boots is only in Manchester until Saturday (8 February), so please, get tickets if you can and go and see this fabulous show. You can grab yours HERE. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get to see a living legend in the flesh like we did…
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Read more:
- Cyndi Lauper at Co-op Live, Manchester 2025 – tickets, times, setlist, and more
- Jake Quickenden to star in stage version of cult classic comedy, Rita, Sue and Bob Too!
- Better Man has bombed at the box office – but is the Robbie Williams biopic any good?
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied via Palace Theatre and Opera House Manchester)
Feature
Manchester’s Pixel Bar has received a seriously next-gen upgrade
Danny Jones
In case you somehow missed it, even in all of its beaming neon and futuristic glory, Pixel Bar Manchester has recently undergone some serious renovations and we’re not just talking a lick of paint – this is a proper next-gen upgrade if we’ve ever seen one.
One of the city centre’s best activity spots and go-to hubs for gamers, specifically, Pixel Bar has been impressing Manc players since 2021, when it took over the old Bar 21 site – one we were sad to say goodbye to at first.
But in the few short years that we’ve had the pleasure of picking up pads at this place, we’ve slowly managed to get over it and now we’re just as madly in love with the gaming gaff as we were its predecessor.
Even more now it has, well, all this:
The bar itself was already pretty engaging to begin with but after more than a few tweaks to the overall hardware and a major refitting downstairs, its videogame offerings are bigger and better than ever.
Let’s start with the first thing that hits you as you come in: those brilliant booths, complete with large LED screens, access to various different kinds of consoles and all manner of titles, all from the comfort of the plush padded seating.
Not only are these ideal for group bookings and parties, as they’re roomy enough to seat plenty of you, but you can also order a wide array of gaming-themed food and drink – still displayed within a cute little disc (cute) directly to your table.
You essentially never need to get up and take a break from playing beyond nipping to the loo.
There are, of course, your classic arcade machines dotted around the main floor as well as downstairs if you prefer old-school.
Speaking of downstairs…
Now, this is where the levelling up gets seriously silly as not only have they transformed Bar 21’s old basement room into a shiny new large seating area, perfect for private hires, large groups or just a quieter room out back away from the bustle upstairs.
However, wander even further into the belly of this brilliant gaming venue’s lair and you’ll find there more than a few beasts waiting for you – in a good way.
Part of the former club room has now been turned into a hardcore gamer’s arena with a fully decked-out PC den and some extremely impressive rigs lining the walls.
Boasting Razer keyboards, headsets and mice to boot, this has everything you need to host a proper old-school LAN party or for the esports hopefuls amongst you (and Manchester’s scene is growing fast, believe us), host competitive online tournaments.
Honestly, these guys are taking this stuff as seriously as you’d like them to; pull back a curtain plastered with UltaGear and Riot Games Play Club branding and you’ll even find a dedicated casting booth should you want some to commentate a live event or run a properly presented livestream.
We don’t need to go into the exact specs of what you’ll find down here as we could be here forever but let’s just say you won’t go wanting for much.
God knows how much Pixel Bar pumped into this major refurb of their Manchester site, all we know is we’re impressed and we’ll be coming back here very soon.
Read more:
- Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon
- Can we please make 2025 the year of the ‘wide burger’?
- PlayStation ‘The Concert’ is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live next year
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — The Manc Group
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