Few musicals arrive carrying the weight of expectation that Kinky Boots does. Based on the 2005 British film of the same name and inspired by true events, the show cements its place in the pantheon of contemporary musical theatre. Since its Broadway debut in 2012 through its West End premiere in 2015 and three Laurence Olivier Awards in 2016, Kinky Boots is a production with pedigree. Now, with X Factor winner Matt Cardle stepping into the shoes of Charlie Price and Strictly Come Dancing professional Johannes Radebe as Lola, the show returns to London with plenty to prove.
The premise is familiar territory for feel-good storytelling. Charlie Price finds himself torn between London and his father’s failing shoe factory in Northampton. A chance encounter with drag queen Lola sets in motion an unlikely partnership, one built on the tension between prejudice, acceptance, and two very different people finding common ground. It is a story about more than shoes; but the cost of being yourself in a world that asks you not to be.
And yet, for all its pedigree, Kinky Boots stumbles out of the gate. The opening number, “The Most Beautiful Thing,” fails to ignite. For a production of this calibre, the early minutes feel flat. The dialogue in these opening scenes carries a similar clunkiness, weighed down by exposition as it works to establish Charlie’s girlfriend Nicole (Billie-Kay) and his father Mr Price (Jonathan Dryden Taylor). The song “Take What You Got,” delivered by Liam Doyle as Harry, does little to help matters; his vocal performance is, to put it generously, an acquired taste.
Then Johannes Radebe walks on stage. His entrance, heralded by “Land of Lola,” is a theatrical event. Radebe, better known to mainstream audiences from the Strictly dancefloor, does not merely inhabit this role; he appears born for it. There is a magnetism to his performance that is impossible to ignore. He dances and acts with a precision and joy that draws the eye entirely, and his infectious energy visibly lifts the cast around him. Cyndi Lauper’s score, vibrant and unashamedly fun, finds its fullest expression through Radebe. “Sex Is in the Heel” and “Raise You Up / Just Be” are the evening’s undisputed highlights, and both belong to him.
Cardle, while a quieter stage presence, has his own moments of power. His duet with Radebe, “Not My Father’s Son,” is the emotional centrepiece of the evening, honest and deeply felt. His take on “Soul of a Man” is also a standout, holding its own impressively against previous interpretations of the song.
The supporting cast pulls its weight. Courtney Bowman brings warmth and wit to Lauren; Scott Paige is thoroughly endearing as factory worker George; and Billy Roberts brings nuance to Don.
Harvey Fierstein’s script is the production’s weakest element. The story is predictable, and without Lauper’s score to carry it, it would struggle to stand upright. But Robert Jones’s set design more than compensates, his transformation of the London Coliseum into a Northampton factory floor, a Milan runway, and Lola’s glittering club is a remarkable feat of stagecraft. The costume work is equally impressive; Lola’s hand-embroidered, heavily sequinned gown during “Hold Me in Your Heart” is a showpiece in itself, a garment that clearly represents days of painstaking craft.
Whatever its shortcomings on the page, Kinky Boots delivers where it matters most. Radebe’s luminous stage presence, paired with Lauper’s irresistible score, ensures this is an evening that refuses to be forgotten.
Musical
Kinky Boots
By Harvey Fierstein
Music By Cyndi Lauper
Directed by Nikolai Foster
Photo Credit : Matt Crockett
Cast Includes Johannes Radebe, Matt Cardle, and Courtney Bowman
Until 11th July 2026
Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one interval
Photo credit:Â Matt Crockett