IPSWICH is about to slip on the boots it has been waiting for — a show full of heart, colour and courage that celebrates inclusivity and belonging, and one set to draw close to 3000 people to the city across four shows.
Swich Up Productions’ Kinky Boots tells the story of two very different worlds colliding, and in a city ready for stories that embrace who we are, it’s the musical Ipswich needs right now.
Conor Ensor, a seasoned musical theatre performer with international experience and former Ipswich Boys Grammer alumni, takes on the grounded and conflicted role of factory heir Charlie Price.
Opposite him is 6’5 Cherry Green, a first-time theatre actor stepping fearlessly into the flamboyant, towering heels of drag queen Lola.
Ensor’s Charlie is weighed down by expectation, in a role that leans on Ensor’s ability to convey emotional depth, honed on stages from Brisbane to London’s West End.
“I’ve had the chance to play a wide range of roles,” Ensor said. “From characters closer to the drag realm through to more grounded, dramatic parts.”
If Charlie is restrained and uncertain, Lola is pure confidence, colour and command — and Cherry Green steps into the towering heels with remarkable fearlessness.
“I’ve never done musical theatre or even acted before,” Green said. “Lola is no easy feat, but I love it. Once I watched the show, I knew I wanted to be part of it.”
While new to theatre, Green is no stranger to performance, fronting blues-infused punk rock band Riot Revolver as lead singer and lyricist.
Green has called Ipswich home for most of his life, moving here from Rwanda 17 years ago.
Ensor said the contrast between the two performers mirrors the characters they play, with their chemistry becoming a defining feature of the production.
“Charlie and Lola come from completely different worlds,” Ensor said. “Cherry brings this bold, fearless energy that pushes Charlie — and me — in the best way.”
Kinky Boots thrives on contradiction — tradition versus transformation — amplified through its leads. Ensor’s international theatre training meets Green’s raw energy. Charlie’s quiet uncertainty meets Lola’s unapologetic self-expression. Factory floors meet catwalks.
When asked what audiences can expect, Ensor doesn’t hesitate.
“Big,” he laughed. “Everything about this production is big — the costumes, the performances, the music. It’s bold and it’s joyous.”
Ensor praised the cast’s exceptional talent, describing the lineup as phenomenal across the board.
In Kinky Boots, opposites don’t just attract — they transform. And in Conor Ensor and Cherry Green, Ipswich has two stars whose contrast brings that transformation vividly to life on its very own stage.
Kinky Boots opens at the Ipswich Civic Centre with shows on Friday, March 27 at 7.30pm; Saturday, March 28 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm; and Sunday, March 29 at 2.30pm. Tickets are available through the Civic Centre website.
