Kinky Boots

Harvey Fierstein is a four-time Tony Award-winning writer and actor. His Broadway writing credits include Kinky Boots, Torch Song Trilogy (Tony, Drama Desk, Dramatists Guild Awards), Casa Valentina, Safe Sex, Legs Diamond and A Catered Affair (12 Drama Desk nominations and the Drama League Award for Best Musical). His La Cage Aux Folles is the only show to ever win Best Musical and 2 Best Revival Tony Awards.

Other plays include Spookhouse, Forget Him and Flatbush Tosca. His teleplays include Tidy Endings for HBO (ACE Award), and On Common Ground for Showtime. His children’s HBO special, The Sissy Duckling, won the Humanitas Prize and the book version is in its eighth printing.

Other honors include the Drama League Award for Outstanding Performer of the Year, a special OBIE award, NY Magazine Award, and nominations for The Olivier Award and an Emmy. His political writings have been seen on PBS’ series In The Life and published in The NY Times, Huffington Post and Hartford Courant. He was inducted into The Theater Hall of Fame in 2008. 

Cyndi Lauper is a Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning artist with over 30 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 50 million albums. With her first album, She’s So Unusual, Lauper won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and became the first female in history to have four top-five singles from a debut album.

Since then, Lauper has released ten additional studio albums, been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and celebrated as a New York Times best-selling author. Overall, during her storied music career, Lauper has been nominated for 15 Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, seven American Video Awards and 18 MTV Awards. In 2013, Cyndi Lauper became the first solo woman to win Best original score for her music and lyrics for Kinky Boots.

Never one to slow down, next she is currently writing the score for the Broadway adaptation of the 1988 feature film Working Girl, contributed a song to the score of the Broadway musical Spongebob Squarepants and launched her own fashion line A Touch of Cyn with Home Shopping Network.

Training: ArtsEd, BA (Hons). 

Theatre Includes: Kristoff u/s in Frozen (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Standby Liam & Jonah in Bad Jews play (Arts Theatre); Jamie in The Last 5 Years livestreamed (The Other Palace); Moses & Aaron u/s in the original West End cast of The Prince Of Egypt (Dominion Theatre); Aladdin u/s in Disney’s Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre); Fabrizio Naccarelli u/s in The Light In The Piazza (Royal Festival Hall & The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles); Ralph Rackstraw in the all-male HMS Pinafore (UK Tour); Don Lockwood in Singin’ In The Rain (Gaiety Theatre); Follies (Royal Albert Hall); The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre); The Twelve Tenors (Asian Tour & Monte-Carlo); The Music Of James Bond Concerts by Candlelight (UK Tour); Artaban in Artaban The Musical (The Actors’ Church); Niki in Out Of This World (Ye Olde Rose & Crown); The Little Mermaid and Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Harlow Playhouse). 

Television & Film includes: The Prince of Egypt, All Star Musicals, Dancing On Ice, Olivier Awards and Justice for a Murdered Son (ITV); Rocketman and The Theory of Everything (feature film). 

 Other work Includes: Grammy nominated cast album for The Prince of Egypt; Papi in The Bands Visit workshop (Donmar Warehouse); Yitzy in Shiva at Wits End Play (rehearsed reading for King Alfred Phoenix Theatre); Soloist on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night (Mermaid Theatre); The Theatre Channel episodes 6-8 (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre & Park Theatre) and Soloist in Roles We’ll Never Play (Lyric Theatre & Vaudeville Theatre). 

Theatre Credits Include: Ladies Down Under, The Card, Treasure Island, Astley’s Astounding Adventures, The Prince And The Pauper and The 39 Steps (New Vic Theatre), Ladies Day (New Vic/Bolton Octagon), Marvellous (New Vic/@Sohoplace), The Hobbit, Beauty and The Beast, Hansel & Gretel, The Life and Times Of Mitchell And Kenyon, A Christmas Carol, Pierre Point – A Hangman’s Tale, Peter Pan And Treasure Island (Dukes Lancaster), Spring and Port Wine (Oldham Coliseum), Cinderella (Lbt Huddersfield), Beauty And The Beast, Tis Pity She’s A Whore, Vincent In Brixton And She Stoops To Conquer (Keswick Theatre By The Lake), Little Shop Of Horrors (Salisbury Playhouse), Heidi, We Are Three Sisters (Northern Broadsides), Crying In The Chapel (Contact Theatre Manchester), In The Picture (M6 Theatre), Hard Times (Library Theatre Manchester), Around The World In 80 Days (Chipping Norton Theatre & Tour), Exchange Your Talent (Royal Exchange), The Wild Adventures Of Robin Hood (Sticks Theatre), Hamlet, The Merchant Of Venice (Demi Paradise Theatre At Lancaster Castle), Pinocchio (Oldham Children’s Theatre) Cell (24/7 And Re:Play Festivals). 

His TV credits include: Brassic (Sky), South Riding (BBC), The Great Train Robbery (World Productions), Curfew (Tiger Aspect for Sky) and Elton John in Ten Days That Rocked Elton (ITV for Channel 5). 

Gareth has extensive Radio and Audiobook credits including: Keep The Home Fires Burning, Is There Honey Still For Tea (BBC Radio 4) and he is the voice of all the Meerkat Madness Audio Books. 

Phil is happy to be back at Storyhouse having toured here in Calendar Girls The Musical. 

He has been a jobbing actor and theatre musician since 1988, both at home and internationally and has played most of the theatres in the UK. 

Tours include: Mamma Mia, (UK and International), Hamlet, The Tempest (also China), The Canterbury Tales, Wars Of The Roses and The Bells (Northern Broadsides), Round And Round The Garden (Malaysia), The Murder Of Sherlock Holmes (Europe), A Streetcar Named Desire (Europe, Hong Kong, Japan ), Much Ado About Nothing (UK), Electric Lipstick (UK), Return To The Forbidden Planet (UK and West End), Twelfth Night (UK) and The Secret Agent for which he also composed the music (UK).

Seasons at: Northern Stage, Live Theatre Newcastle, Bolton Octagon, Oldham Coliseum, Haymarket Basingstoke, Queen’s Hornchurch, Stephen Joseph Scarborough, Theatre by the Lake, Bristol Old Vic, New Vic Stoke, Harrogate Theatre, Customs House, Tyne Theatre, Theatre Royal Newcastle, Royal Court Liverpool, Contact Manchester and Theatre Royal Stratford East. 

Shows: Manifesto For A New City, Geordie The Musical (Twice), Rendezvous, Tyne (Twice), Alan Plater’s Last Play Looking For Buddy, Close The Coalhouse Door, Brassed Off (Twice), Wake Up Little Suzie, Good Golly Miss Molly (Twice), Chris Monks’ Carmen And Don Giovanni, Eight Miles High, The Firework Maker’s Daughter, The Hired Man, Speed-The-Plow, The Good Companions, Bouncers, Hamlet, From A Jack To A King, The Norman Conquests, Tears Of A Clown, Macbeth, Return To The Forbidden Planet, A Family Affair, Leonardo’s Last Supper, An Enemy Of The People (West End) and World Story Time.

Twenty Pantomimes including three of the Liverpool Everyman’s Rock n Roll pantos. 

TV : Undercover, Creeped Out, Inspector George Gently, All At Sea, Vera, Emmerdale (8 Times), Waterloo Road, Coronation Street (Twice), Doctorsshameless, The Royal, The Royal Today, Dalziel And Pascoe, Mobile, Harry and The Cinder Path 

Film: Peterloo, Bliss and Almost Married 

Originally from Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales, Lynwen graduated with a BA in Performing Arts from the University of Trinity St. David, Carmarthen in 2010.

Theatre credits include: Peter Pan (Sherman Theatre); Vernon’s Girls (Liverpool Royal Court); Robin Hood, Beauty and the Beast, The Panto That Nearly Never Was, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty (Theatr Clwyd); Cranogwen (Mewn Cymeriad); Lloergan (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru); Summer Holiday, Blonde Bombshells of 1943, The Crucible (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); A Berlin Kabaret (Sphinx Theatre); Clera, Cysgu’n Brysur, Lleuad yn Olau (Arad Goch); Hawl /Right, Fala Surion (Fran Wen); Arandora Star (Theatr na nÓg); Deffro’r Gwanwyn, Iesu! (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru).

Television credits include: Pobol y Cwm (BBC Cymru Wales); R’un Sbit (Cwmni Da); Rownd a Rownd (Rondo Media).

Radio Credits include: The News From Nowhere (BBC Radio 4); Rhosod (BBC Radio Cymru).

Lynwen also regularly works as a Composer and Musical Director. Lynwen most recently served as Musical Director and Composer on Hansel and Gretel for Sherman Theatre, having previously served as Musical Director and Composer on the premiere production of Golygfeydd o’r Pla Du (Scenes from the Black Death) for Theatrau Sir Gâr at the start of 2023. Her other composing credits include Celebrated Virgins (Theatr Clwyd), Rhyfeloedd y ‘Rona/The Corona Wars (Leeway Academy/Leeway Productions) as well as the Christmas Charity single Santa’s Caravan to raise funds for North Wales Superkids.

This is Kaitlin’s first appearance at Storyhouse.

Theatre credits include: The Nutcracker: A Christmas Fairytale (New Vic Theatre); D’Eon (The Straight Acting Theatre Company); Treasure Island (Birmingham Rep); The Alphabet Girl, Katie Crowder and BARE (Moxie Under Fire); Encore, The Advent Plays, Mother Goose and Aladdin (Oldham Coliseum); Peter Pan (First Family Entertainment); Macbeth (The Epstein, Liverpool); The Thankful Village, Lights Out, Land Girls!, The Carlton Colliers and Eddie and The Gold Tops (Badapple Theatre); King Lear and The Newark Passion (2B Theatre); Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing and Les Mis – Le Panto! (Oddsocks Productions); The Tempest (Arty-Fact Theatre); This Starving Life (Company Gavin Robertson); The Three Penny Opera, Our Country’s Good and Fear and Misery of The Third Reich (Scene Productions); The Merry Wives of Windsor, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Comedy of Errors and Hamlet (The Cambridge Shakespeare Festival); Beauty and The Beast, The Wind in The Willows and No Man’s Land (Ribcaged Productions).

Film and Television credits include: Hollyoaks (Channel 4/Lime Pictures); Scott and Bailey (ITV); Crimewatch (BBC); Clouds (V-PAC Productions); Chronicles of Syntax (iDare Productions); Born of Hope (Actors at Work).

Radio and Audio credits include: Just the Place for a Snark and Old Hobb’s Xmas Adventure (Theatrephonic Productions); Echoes From One to Another (Helix Branch Studios). Kaitlin trained at The Bridge Theatre Training Company.

James trained at Guildford School of Acting

Theatre Credits Include: Housemates, Hansel & Gretel, Tales Of The Brother’s Grimm, A Christmas Carol and Alice In Wonderland For Sherman Theatre, Petula For National Theatre Wales/Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, It’s A Wonderful Life and On Scarborough Front for Lighthouse Theatre, A Good Clean Heart for The Other Room.

Television Credits Include: Casualty (BBC)

 Sebastian Lim-Seet is a Malaysian-Scottish actor, singer and musician from Glasgow. After leaving the University of Aberdeen with a BMus with First Class Hons, Sebastian wanted to pursue a career in acting and trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Sebastian is really thrilled to be part of this new take of Kinky Boots and is also excited to be exploring Chester and its Roman Walls. 

Theatre Credits: The Snow Queen (Edinburgh Royal Lyceum), Scots (54 Below, New York/Edinburgh Fringe), Cinderella (Dundee Rep and Dance Theatre) 

Film/TV Credits include: Dog Squad (CBeebies) 

Credits whilst training include: Adam in Children of Eden, John Brooke in Little Women, Bobby in Company 

He/ They.

Training: Guildford School of Acting (BA Hons in Musical Theatre) and The Dance School of Scotland.

Theatre credits: Magnificent Seven in Snow White And The Magnificent Seven (Darlington Hippodrome); Dancer/Dance Captain in The Dolls Back Wi’ A Bang (Scottish Tour); Jack In Grindr: The Opera (The Union Theatre); Denym/Cover Tink in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical (West End) ; Denym/Cover Tink in Bat Out Hell The Musical (UK & International Tour); Vocalist in The Show Must Go On! Live (Palace Theatre); Lumiukko In Frostbite- Who Pinched My Muff? (Garden Theatre); Dwarf/Dance Captain In Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (Sec Armadillo); Boy in Butterfly Kiss (Òran Mór) and Ensemble in Hansel And Gretel (Scottish Opera).

Workshops: Spencer in A Second Chance. A new British musical.

Duane-Lamonte O’Garro has earned accolades for his outstanding talents as a singer, actor, songwriter, choreographer, and entrepreneur, notably as the creator and owner of his self-developed live show band, After Dark Live. His multifaceted achievements are a testament to his self-discipline, dedication, determination, and unwavering commitment to overcoming challenges. 

Acting and performing have always been Duane-Lamonte’s passions, leading him to notable opportunities such as roles in TV series Grange Hill, The Bill, and Stars in Their Eyes. In the West End, he has graced the stage as a main character in musicals like Daddy Cool and Dancing in the Streets, where he portrayed the iconic Mr. Stevie Wonder. 

While a contestant on Pop Idol in 2002, Duane-Lamonte withdrew from the competition due to a compelling opportunity to play a lead role in the musical Our Day Out by Willy Russell, which premiered in Virginia Washington. This decision left a lasting impression on Simon, as evidenced by his recognition when Duane-Lamonte auditioned for X Factor in 2008 and successfully reached the Judges’ Houses in X Factor 2009 with Cheryl Cole. 

His notable achievements also include appearances on ITV’s Dance Dance Dance as a contestant alongside Jess Wright, performances in Motown The Musical, and roles in The Lion King at Disneyland Paris and subsequently in the West End. 

In 2023, Duane-Lamonte took centre stage as the lead singer on the Freedom Unleashed Tour alongside Strictly Come Dancing‘s beloved Johannes Radebe, marking another milestone in his illustrious career. 

 Furthermore, I am thrilled to share that Duane-Lamonte is set to take on the leading role of Lola/Simon in the upcoming production of Kinky Boots at The Storyhouse this May 2024.

His excitement for this opportunity underscores his continuous dedication to delivering captivating performances and further solidifies his presence in the world of theatre. 

Roddy trained at Rose Bruford College on the BA (Hons) Actor Musicianship course, graduating in 2019.

Theatre credits include: Romeo and Juliet (Victoria Theatre Singapore / Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), Upstart! Shakespeare’s Rebel Daughter Judith (Edinburgh Fringe / Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose), Rapunzel (Watermill Theatre), Kinky Boots (New Wolsey Theatre & Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), What the Ladybird Heard (The Palace Theatre, West End), A Christmas Carol (Box Clever UK Tour / The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath), Urinetown and American Idiot (Old Joint Stock Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Garden Shakespeare Company).

Seren trained at Laine Theatre Arts, graduating as head girl. Other training includes NYT, NYMT and The Whitton Morris school of dance (Holywell). 

Theatre credits include: Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: the Carole King Musical (UK Tour); Gloria in Brassed Off (Derby Theatre and Aberystwyth Arts Centre); Agnes in Gypsy (The Mill, Sonning);  Patsy/ 1st cover Polly in Crazy for You (UK Tour and The Watermill Theatre); Zorro: The Musical (Hope Mill Theatre); Beauty and The Beast (Theatr Clwyd); Aladdin  (Stafford Gatehouse); West Side Story (Victoria Warehouse); The Same Sky (Derby Guildhall); Rock Around The Clock (UK and international tour). 

TV credits include: The Great: Season 1 (Hulu).  

Leah trained at Arts Educational Schools London, graduating in 2022.

Her theatre credits include: Amelia Earhart/Mary Seacole/Rosa Parks in Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World (UK Tour), Alternate Seymour/Parr in SIX the Musical (Vaudeville Theatre), Consuelo in West Side Story (Krizanke Theatre, Ljubjuana).