Win free tickets to sassy musical Kinky Boots in Beijing

Don't miss out as the multi-award-winning musical makes a Beijing debut

Another Charlie, another factory – except this one has shoes. Musical extravaganza Kinky Boots has won every major Best Musical Award out there – an Olivier, a Tony and a Grammy – has gone on tour across the world, and now arrives in Beijing this Friday in a blaze of sparkling glory. 

The musical tale, like the film of the same name, tells of Charlie Price, a young man struggling to keep his late father’s shoe factory alive. Set in Northampton, a working-class town in rainy old England, the story screams 'conventional' sensibilities from the outset. When the Price & Son factory falls on hard times, Charlie needs to do whatever he can to keep it going and live up to his father’s expectations – who can't relate to that a little bit? What happens next is perhaps a little less relatable: a chance meeting with a stunning drag queen named Lola sees Charlie embark on a mission to create women's shoes for men. Especially high-heeled, glittery ones. Sensibilities: challenged.

Oliver Tompsett (Charlie) and Simon-Anthony Roden (Lola), probably discussing how great shoes are. Photo by Matt Crockett.

The story brings an ever-relevant message to light: be yourself, whoever you are. Challenging gender norms, bigotry and transphobia, Kinky Boots opens up a world where even the grittiest of industrial England's alpha males might try on a pair of leopard-print stilettos.

The minds behind the musical are just as star-studded as the show's boots: its music and lyrics were written by pop icon Cyndi Lauper (one Tony, one Grammy), the choreography by Hairspray's Jerry Mitchell (two Tonys) and the book by Harvey Fierstein (four Tonys to his name). No wonder its been somewhat of a hit, then.

Musical geniuses: Mitchell, Fierstein and Lauper. Photo by Gavin Bond

The musical, like the 2005 film, draws its inspiration from a true story: back in the early '90s, Steve Pateman took over a family shoe business. Like other small business owners struggling to survive in a mass-industry world, Pateman decided to look into new, alternative markets.

Following a phone call from a store that sold specialist drag wear, Pateman and his factory began making boots and heels in men's sizes. Although the factory eventually ended up closing, the BBC documentary that catalogued the original attempt to enter this alternative shoe market captured film-makers attentions: and thus Kinky Boots was born.

Steve Pateman via @KinkyBootMan

Win tickets

As Kinky Boots hits Beijing this week, we've got five pairs of tickets to give away to you lovely readers for the show at 7.30pm on August 28. To win tickets for you and a plus one, simply share this blog on your WeChat moments with the text 'Time Out Beijing, I want to get Kinky!', then send a screenshot of your moments to our WeChat account (TimeOutBeijingEN), along with your WeChat ID. Entries must be in by midday this Friday, August 24, and winners will be notified by Sunday evening.

To buy your tickets for any of the shows from August 24 to September 6, scan the QR code below. 

See the show, support the queens and just be who you wanna be. Watch this China-tour promo for a better look into the kinky world of musical boots.

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=z06349q4ne4&width=500&height=375&auto=0

For more tickets to great shows in Beijing, hit 'Read more'.

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