Tickets were gifted through SeatPlan
Kinky Boots, back after a 10-year break, brings fun, energy and brashness to the stage. This Made at Curve production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical KINKY BOOTS The Musical has been revised by Nikolai Foster, choreographed by Leah Hill, and having been on tour, it settles for a 3-month run at the London Coliseum. A large stage to fill, which the Northampton Factory set manages well.
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| Photo by Matt Crockett. |
Loosely based on the book by Harvey Fierstein, with music by Cyndi Lauper, this musical is headlined by Johannes Radebe, better known as Jojo from Strictly and another Saturday evening TV star, Matt Cardle, the winner of 2010’s X Factor.
An energetic opening leads us to Drag Queen Lola’s (Radebe) first appearance, glamorously raised through a trap door, and above the stage. Lola is in the building! Redebe captures all that Lola is and wants to be and doesn’t once drop a wonderful portrayal of Lola; the voice, the personality, the walk and stance. Lola captures the audience's attention with every stage entrance and even manages a stage exit with a double pirouette - just because she can! The dance moves are tight and, whilst Redebe’s voice can’t quite deliver the big numbers, his thought-provoking rendition of ‘I’m Not My Father’s Son” sits well with the audience.
Charlie (Cardle) inherits his East Midlands family shoe factory - not a role that had appeared in his life plan. He finds himself with a failing business, but the factory workers, passionate about their work, capture Charlie’s heart. He spots a gap in the market for feminine shoes that carry the weight of a man, and so the story unfolds. Cardle delivers the belting numbers with ease, filling the theatre with a heartfelt rendition of ‘Soul of a Man’ as he realises his own personal failings. Whilst his singing delivers the emotion, at times his delivery of the character lacks emotion, including the build-up to his outburst. Nevertheless, his standing ovation was well deserved.
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| Photo by Matt Crockett |
There is strong support from Courtney Bowman, performing as the likeable Lauren. Well-delivered lines and a show-stopping number, ‘The History of Wrong Guys’, in which she discovers her inner fondness for Charlie. Scott Paige, another notable performer, captures the lovable factory foreman George, who, by the end of the show, finds his inner strut!
In Cyndi Lauper’s words, “Kinky Boots is one of the things I’m proudest of in my career, and I’m so excited that audiences will get to see it again, in a new production. It’s like a happy pill – and we could all use some of that right now! I can’t think of a better time or place to relaunch this special show in its place of origin.”
A fun night out, with an expanse of red. Would I watch it again - ‘Everybody say Yeah’!
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Kinky Boots plays at the London Coliseum until Saturday 11th July 2026. You can book tickets through SeatPlan https://seatplan.com/london/kinky-boots-tickets/
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| Photo by Matt Crockett. |
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