SHOES Peacock Theatre

Time, as somebody says, wounds all heels. Shoes is a musical dance show by Richard Thomas and Stephen Mear aimed at a very young market. Thomas is best known for the notorious Jerry Springer, The Opera; Mear’s witty choreography has enhanced many a West End musical. The cast warns the audience early on that if they don’t like shoes it’s going to be a long evening. The major disappointment is not with the shoes but with the actual choreography and the content, which, surprisingly, ignores fairy tales, a key source. Much of the show is camp, crude kitsch, and the lyrics are often inaudible There are three high spots: tap-dancing in platforms, a jolly tribute to Salvatore Ferregamo and a hilarious series of framed wedding photographs of a dysfunctional family. The best place to see a history of shoes is in a museum in Toronto which has a fabulous collection which is exhibited with theatrical flair.