Review: KINKY BOOTS at CHATEAU DE KARREVELD

KINKY BOOTS arrives at Festival Bruxellons! with the kind of energy that makes the stage feel charged before the story has even had the chance to fully unfold. The opening number is energetic and very well thought through, from a structural point of view. It introduces the world, the tone, and the emotional engine of the piece with clarity, and it does what a strong musical opening should do: it pulls the audience in fast.

The set, designed by Sylvianne Besson and Yves Hauwaert, is very well conceived and functional, especially at the beginning. It transports us exactly where we need to be in the story, while keeping the stage clear and flexible for movement. The scene changes move cleanly, and the production is great at shifting from one space to another. The second act, however, is less convincing visually. The set starts to lose some of the glamour the story needs, especially in the textures, shapes, and choice of colours. For a show that speaks so much about transformation, boldness, and style, that visual world could’ve gone further.

When Lola’s world enters, the whole atmosphere changes. Vincent Heden, in the role of Lola, completely blew me away. Such charisma. Such constant energy, precision, and focus. No gesture, look, posture, or note feels out of character. He gives Lola spectacle, control, flamboyance, and truth. It’s a wonderful discovery of a great actor, and one of those performances that instantly lifts a production to another level.

The chorus girls are very funny, charismatic, and full of personality. The choreographies give them punch, attitude, and stage power. They build Lola’s universe with style and confidence. And the Angels, played by Killian Vialette, Maxime Pannetrat, Mathis Marco, Sasha Thibert, and Douwe Debroux, are simply out of this world. They also have Lola’s precision, energy, and charisma that is already impressive in any context. The fact that they do it all in high heels makes it even more astonishing.

Loïc Suberville as Charlie is the perfect balance for Lola’s explosive vein. His subtlety, emotional flexibility, and stage presence instantly trigger attachment for his character. He gives the production its human centre, and that quiet strength is exactly what the role needs.

Maud Hanssens, as Lauren, brings warmth and comic freshness to the romantic side of the story. Her presence helps soften Charlie’s arc while giving the love interest real space inside the action. She adds charm, lightness, and a very welcome sense of emotional openness.

The first act keeps building. “Sex Is in the Heel” is one of its major highlights, with amazing energy, dancing, choreography, and staging. It’s bold, sharp, and completely alive. The last number of the first act is electrifying, the kind of number that reminds you what musical theatre can do when performers are able to sing, act, and dance with the same level of commitment and skill. The stage is filled with triple threats, and that’s extremely refreshing to see in Belgium. There’s a rare balance between vocal quality, physical precision, and acting energy. Everyone seems to understand the style, the rhythm, and the emotional stakes of the material. That’s what gives the production its professional weight.

The choreography by Kylian Campbell and Alexia Cuvelier is excellent. Precise, energetic, punchy, and explosive. It gives every number a clear identity, and it keeps the company moving with real intention. Even in the background, nothing feels random. That’s one of the great strengths of this production.

Kylian Campbell and Nicoline Hummel’s direction deserves real praise. They keep the stage constantly alive. One special mention goes to the construction of background interactions. Every character on stage has a reason to be there. Someone is always listening, reacting, crossing, working, watching, or silently pushing the story forward. Nothing is done in general.  Nothing is faked. That gives the production an impressive sense of life.

As far as translations are concerned, I’m a very hard person to please. I often find adaptations from English to French very poorly made, with accents going everywhere and actual meanings altered. Stéphane Laporte’s French adaptation avoids those problems beautifully. Everything is fluid, technically adapted to the French language, and the meaning is preserved. More importantly, the beautiful simplicity of the English original is convincingly transported into French, which is usually very difficult to do properly.

The musical side is just as strong. Under Laure Campion’s musical direction, with Thomas Vanhauwaert leading the orchestra, the sound is impeccable. Everything is balanced to perfection. The orchestra covers all emotional areas, from intimate to explosive, and the result is a pure pleasure to listen to. Cyndi Lauper’s music keeps its colour, its drive, and its emotional openness, while the production gives it a very polished theatrical frame.

The supporting cast also contributes to the strength of the evening, with Lucie Hoellinger as Nicola, Niels Batens as Don, Gauthier Bourgeois as Harry, Patrick Waleffe as George, Hélène Kamers as Trish, Thomas Servranckx as Mr Price, Roland Bekkers as Simon Père, Aaron Francque as Richard Bailey, Jozefien Van De Winkel as Pat, Kyara Boi as Marge, and Pauline Arnout as Cyndi. Together, they give the world around Charlie and Lola precisely the texture it needs.

KINKY BOOTS at Festival Bruxellons! is a production full of heart, rhythm, and theatrical confidence. It’s funny, technically strong, vocally solid, and performed with the kind of commitment that makes musical theatre feel alive. It proves how powerful this genre can be when it’s treated seriously, joyfully, and with real craft.

Final rating: 9.5 /10 (Strongly recommended for anyone who wants a high-quality musical theatre night with spectacular energy, heart, and heels).

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