Kinky Boots' Matt Henry: I used to sell ice cream in interval. Now I’m singing on stage
Fifteen years ago Matt Henry was selling ice creams in the interval at the Adelphi Theatre. Now he is on its stage — playing one of the leading roles in new musical Kinky Boots.
The actor, 36, stars as drag queen Lola in the show. He worked front of house at the theatre on the Strand when he first arrived in London as a young student.
Henry said: “Growing up in Birmingham I had heard of the West End and just knew I had to get there, so when I came to study in London I applied to lots of theatres for work and the Adelphi was the first to reply.
“It was around 1999 and Chicago was showing, so I was watching Ute Lemper and Ruthie Henshall every day.
“I knew all the dance moves and every line and your mind would wander and you would dream of being noticed and asked up on stage to join the show.
“It was amazing getting up on the stage for this show and seeing the auditorium from a different angle and looking out over where I used to sell programmes and ice creams.
“It is an amazing experience for me just to get that chance and appear on that stage”.
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The actor’s appearance at The Adelphi is not his first brush with fame. He made it to the final of the second series of BBC talent show The Voice, but lost out to eventual winner Andrea Begley. He said: “That was a great experience, I worked with Jessie J and she was great and it was a real boost for me at a time when I was developing as an artist.”
Kinky Boots, which includes songs by Cyndi Lauper and has been a huge hit in the United States, is inspired by the 2005 film which starred Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola.
Both are based on the true story of a Northampton shoe factory which saw off possible closure by branching out to make women’s boots in men’s sizes for the fetish market.
American playwright Harvey Fierstein, who wrote the book for the show, said: “The inspiring story of Kinky Boots is about to complete its full circle journey from Northampton to the silver screen to Broadway and now, at last, back home to London.
"It’s been an absolute thrill to witness the giant heart of our show raise audiences up out of their seats in clamorous joy night after night all across the States. I can’t wait to experience its homecoming with our friends across the pond.”
Kinky Boots started its preview run last week and opens officially on September 15.