With Kinky Boots about the light up the Wales Millennium Centre, Georgia Roberts chats to Kayi Ushe, who stars as Lola in the hit musical.
Following the success of Kinky Boots in America, how did you approach this role, did you use anyone such as Todrick Hall as inspiration?
I’ve always looked up to the likes of Billy Porter, Todrick Hall and Wayne Brady, all of whom played Lola on Broadway. However I admired their work on projects before Kinky Boots and never actually got to see any of them play this part. I did however get to see Matt Henry in Kinky Boots in the West End and was blown away! In terms of inspiration though I looked towards artists like Leigh Bowery and Lucian Freud’s work surrounding him. I also watched the Kinky Boots film to see Chiwetel Ejiofor’s interpretation of the character and after digesting all of this I set about discovering my own version.
What drew you to this role? Is there a particular story you want to personally tell as one of the two leads?
When I initially got the audition through for Kinky Boots it was a general call. So I had no idea which character within the cast I was being considered for. So in my first round, Jill Green, our casting director, asked me why I wanted to leave my job at the time and I responded saying that I was looking for a challenge. And my oh my did I get it. Life in six-inch stiletto heels is a lot of hard work! I take my hat off to women and drag queens everywhere. My knees!
Aside from the challenge of it all, what drew me to this role and this character is the universal message of ‘just be’. We’ve all, at one point in our lives, in one context or another, been the oddball/ the off cut/ the black sheep. And through this show and this character I get to tell thousands of people at a time to stay strong and that it’s going to be ok. That’s powerful stuff.
Can you tell me a bit about what resonated with you about this musical and what audiences can take away from it?
Personally I resonate with being a bit different my whole life from people around me and realising that actually it’s the differences that make us beautiful vibrant individuals. That and the music, my lord the music! Taking this show up and down the UK and Ireland with its message is one thing, and it’s an incredible thing. But to be able to perform this music on a daily basis is like the cherry on top of a beautiful glitter-covered cake.
What are the qualities of your character, Lola, that are similar and different to yourself?
There are lots of things that are similar and dissimilar between me and my character. He loves word play, I love word play. He loves to perform, I love to perform. He loves glitter, I hate glitter (On my body, it never leaves!). He also loves drag, wearing women’s clothes and make-up, and before this job I had never done drag, worn women’s clothes or worn makeup to this extent. He doesn’t know how to be anything other than being unequivocally himself at all times, and neither do I. I draw on a lot within myself in order to play this character, but there are a lot of things I’ve had to adopt and research in order to fill in the blanks where my own life experience was not in line with his.
How do you prepare backstage before a show? Do you get nervous?
I’m always nervous before a show. It’s usually not until I’ve sung Land of Lola that that feeling leaves me. In terms or preparation, excluding warm ups and stretching, I don’t find that I need to do anything. I find that once the heels go on and my opening dress is on the walk to stage brings the character out of me.
What’s your personal favourite moment to take part in each night on stage?
I’d have to say Everybody Say Yeah, the number that closes the first act. It’s so full of joy and so uplifting. Even if I’ve had a bad day that number gets under my skin and puts a smile on my face. So on a good day (which is most days) it’s just an uproarious, joyous, hope filled explosion.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Mon 22 July-Sat 3 Aug
Tickets: £19.50-£72.50. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk