Kinky Boots kicks the curse of Covid
It wasn’t planned for 2024. Showbiz Christchurch’s production of the musical extravaganza Kinky Boots should have been wowing the Isaac Theatre Royal’s audience in 2021 – but we all know why that couldn’t happen.
The theatre company’s return to its traditional two big shows a year schedule is cause for post-Covid celebration, general manager Craig Ogilvie says.
“It was a very tough time and we sort of stumbled along and we couldn’t do shows for quite some time. When we did try, they got cancelled again.”
Finally, the musical’s spectacular set – built in North Canterbury and subsequently shipped off to Auckland and Wellington when the virus kiboshed the original schedule – has returned to its home base and Kinky Boots is up and running at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal until early May.
“I feel like we’re truly back to normal,” Ogilvie says.
And maybe Kinky Boots – written by pop legend Cyndi Lauper and four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein – is just the tonic for today’s challenging landscape.
“At a time when a lot of people are really doing it tough, an upbeat feel-good show really warms the soul,” Ogilvie says.
The story begins with the musical’s protagonist, Charlie Price, inheriting a struggling shoe factory. An encounter with the vivacious entertainer Lola – and her penchant for fabulous footwear – turns Charlie’s world to technicolour and the pair embark on a transformative journey.
A “phenomenal duo” of director Stephen Robertson and musical director Richard Marrett are at the production’s helm.
“Stephen and Richard have been creating extraordinary shows for over 25 years,” Ogilvie added.
Choreographer Glen Harris completes the triumvirate, backed up by a huge number of community volunteers, who are on stage and behind the scenes. It’s estimated up to 25,000 volunteer hours – including singers, dancers, backing vocalists, wardrobe dressers and stage crew - are committed to each Showbiz production.
Christchurch’s vibrant theatrical lineage is being increasingly recognised, Ogilvie says, with the “go-to people for building sets, costumes, props in this country” being based in and around Ōtautahi.
That bodes well for Christchurch audiences going forward, he predicts: the prospect of more large-scale New Zealand productions being built in the area makes a compelling case – he believes – for national premieres in the city to become the norm.
Kinky Boots, which is suitable for 12+ audiences, runs at the Isaac Theatre Royal until May 4. Tickets are available online.