Amber Sinclair-Case
What drew you to Kinky Boots as a project, and what elements of the story or themes did you find particularly compelling?
I’ve always loved the song I’m Not My Father’s Son from this show, and it underpins why I was drawn to this show in the first place. I am always excited by revivals of shows that offer a new perspective, and discover how pieces translate into the present day.
What particularly drew me to Kinky Boots were its themes of self-discovery, embracing individuality, and the power of solidarity and I was super intrigued by how these themes would translate into the present day.
“This musical celebrates diversity, challenges stereotypes, and champions acceptance in a way that is both entertaining and empowering.”
Theatre was my first escape, and I hope this show provides that for the audiences at Storyhouse for a couple of hours.
As a director, I was compelled by the opportunity to bring this story to life on the Storyhouse stage, as it was the perfect playground for us to create a space where audiences could see themselves reflected onstage and be inspired to embrace their own identities without fear or shame. I’d always loved the score of Kinky Boots, so the thought of being able to really showcase the music from this team of exquisite actor musicians was super exciting for me.
Helen, Suzie, Annabel, and the entire Storehouse team are the type of people that one can only hope to work with in their career. I’ve have the privilege of witnessing their heart, humour and wit firsthand everyday, but tonight you will be able to see it for yourselves reflected in this show. Everyone in this building is so warm and welcoming, which makes creating a show like this so joyous.
Kinky Boots features a unique blend of humour, heart, and high-energy musical numbers. How do you balance these elements to create a cohesive and engaging theatrical experience?
Collaboration. Without a strong team this show would be impossible to achieve, and luckily the performing company, our creative, production, technical teams and the entire team at Storyhouse are the strongest you could ask for.
Humour is woven throughout the show, often through witty dialogue, and the fiercely individual characters within the story. It serves to lighten the mood and provide moments of levity, keeping the audience entertained and engaged. It’s the beating heart of the story, driving home the message of inclusivity and empathy. Moments of vulnerability and authenticity allow the audience to connect with the characters on a deeper level, fostering empathy and understanding.
“The energy is absolutely ridiculous with this company, because most of our band are on stage with us! With most of our actors playing multiple instruments, the energy from the score is in abundance throughout the story, helmed by our fantastic musical director, Sarah De Tute and her expert handling of the cast.”
Everyone on the team has worked so hard to ensure that individually and as a collective, every member of the company shines as bright as this story does.
In terms of high-energy musical numbers (and heart), there is no better example than our choreographer Nicole Bondzie. Aside from her exquisite choreography (which is saying something, it’s ridiculously good!) her presence in the room has been integral to amplifying this story of joy in abundance – as well as her little Cavapoo Tito who bought many smiles to all of us during the process. It’s been such a gift to shape this show with Nicole, and navigating movement during these enormous musical numbers whilst the majority of our company are playing multiple instruments has been more fun than I could’ve ever imagined.
As a director, my role is to balance these elements, ensuring that humour enhances rather than detracts from the emotional depth of the story, and that the musical numbers propel the narrative forward while still allowing space for quieter, more intimate moments. By weaving together humour, heart, and all of the high-energy musical numbers, we create a theatrical experience that is both entertaining and emotionally resonant, leaving a lasting impact on audiences long after we fly back from Milan.
The character dynamics in Kinky Boots are diverse and complex. How do you work with the actors to develop their characters and relationships within the story?
Our designer Rachael Ryan, who has the most brilliant brain and creative ability, created a playground for our actors as a springboard. Being able to see the nuts and bolts of creation within a musical is something that I find extremely interesting to watch, and from the beginning of discussions about this show I was really excited to deconstruct the story with our company and see where they sit now.
When we were auditioning, we saw a lot of actors that had beautifully thick accents from across the UK. As a Scottish person (Fifer, to be exact), I am incredibly proud of my accent, so being able to celebrate the many accents that our company has was the starting point for our character development really. As someone who had never seen anyone like them on stage, I am really passionate about celebrating the individuality of each performer, so that they feel seen and heard and have ownership over the characters they are playing every night. We have assembled such a wonderful team, who are each the biggest lights to have in a room, so working with them to build these characters has been incredibly rewarding.
In terms of process, I like giving a rough guide and thoughts when we’re building but ultimately, I enjoy facilitating and honing the actor’s interpretations of the role in the context of my overall vision of the show. I trained as an actor and really struggled with the “stand here, feel this on that line, look at the cup” monotony without any interrogation of my own, so am constantly looking for ways to encourage every member of the company to tell me what feels right for their character.
Theatre should be collaborative, and working together to carve out these narratives with the same shared goal is where the magic lies, in my opinion.
Kinky Boots has enjoyed success both on Broadway and in various international productions. How do you adapt the production to resonate with different cultural audiences while staying true to the original vision?
We have very consciously made the “Storyhouse version” of this show. Walking into this building feels like walking into the little slice of the joy that our characters are striving towards throughout the show, and we wanted to celebrate that in this production.
“We want every audience member to feel as though they play a part in creating the version of the show they see that night, as that is the beauty of our version of Kinky Boots.”
By having a company of actor musicians, you are inevitably going to feel more involved in the show, not least by the authentic and entirely unique sound we have created throughout the process. Being a mere couple of metres away from someone underscoring a scene on the violin is the type of theatrical experience that I would still be thinking about months later after I watch a show; it’s that level of intimacy that sparked my love for theatre in the first place. Being able to see the nuts and bolts of musicals is where my love for this craft sits, and that’s why this version – although the script, story and score remain true to the original production – is completely unique to the performance you’re watching today.
The music and lyrics of Kinky Boots are an integral part of its appeal. How do you work with the musical director and performers to ensure that the songs are delivered with the right emotional impact?
Our wonderful musical director, Sarah De Tute, is the best collaborator you could ever ask for.
Throughout this process, she has honed the skills of this ridiculously talented company with such grace, flare and creativity – it almost doesn’t feel like the Kinky Boots I’ve grown up listening to (in the best possible way). Having a company of performers who can play anywhere between 2-10 instruments is such a gift, especially with a score as rich and exciting as this one. Every day in the room has felt like a Sitzprobe (a sing-through with the band which we normally have in the final week) and hearing the quality of their sound just exudes the emotion by definition.
We approached this show as a collective effort at the forefront – and as a result, the emotional impact of each moment throughout this story is felt and demonstrated as a team.
“The talent that each member of the company possesses deserves to be celebrated, and as a result, you rarely see our actors leave the stage.”
We flip between worlds so quickly, and we’ve loved shaping what that means to each individual character track throughout the show, or how to make moments that originally only involved two/three characters still feel intimate even though we have multiple members of the company on the stage.
It seemed such a disservice to the score, to our performers, and to the message we are sharing with audience members at Storyhouse to have our musicians leave the stage when their character “was supposed to” based on the stage directions.
Finally, what message or takeaway do you hope 2024 audiences will leave with after experiencing Kinky Boots at Storyhouse?
Firstly, I hope that audiences can appreciate what an enormous undertaking this show is – it’s an absolute beast!
Just as each character in the show learns to embrace their uniqueness and find strength in their differences, we hope our audiences leave with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of diversity and the power of acceptance.
“In a world where societal pressures often dictate conformity, Kinky Boots reminds us that true beauty lies in authenticity and embracing our individuality.”
As Lola sings, “You change the world when you change your mind,” we’re reminded that by opening our hearts and minds to those who are different from us, we create a more vibrant and inclusive world for all.
Storyhouse’s central message – “This house is your house” – is what the concept of this version of the show was born from. There is no better place to be doing this show in 2024 and we want to make sure every single person that walks through those doors feels seen, heard, and celebrated for everything that they are, and everything they are yet to be. The story of this show is a journey of hope and acceptance of every community, echoing the inclusive and supportive environment that Storyhouse as a venue have created and continue to uphold. Kinky Boots in 2012 provided a positive, and celebratory insight to the world of drag and to that of queerness as an umbrella.
“This version of Kinky Boots, in 2024, I invite people to extend that positivity to the trans people in their lives, who are being targeted, attacked, and demonised across the world.”