Joyful and exuberant, this musical makes a welcome return to the West End, with its themes still extremely relevant in 2026.
It is fair to say that Kinky Boots has been much missed on the West End stage, particularly given the warm reception that it receives from audiences on full display at key moments in the show.
Based on a true story, Kinky Boots follows the story of Charlie Price who initially is reluctant to take over the family shoe factory business which is failing financially but soon finds a passion he never imagined when he encounters Lola a fabulous drag Queen with plenty of imagination and talent to help the business.
Featuring a lively and heartfelt book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, the musical is wonderful celebration of friendship, acceptance, following your dreams and embracing everything that you have to offer the world. It might not have been in the West End for a while, but Nikolai Foster’s production does remind us just how relevant this show still is – even if in places the energy levels seem to slip slightly.
The key to making Kinky Boots work relies heavily on the strength of the portrayal of the characters from the cast and thankfully the cast offer such a vibrant and enthusiastic performances that keep the audience thoroughly invested.
At the centre of it all is Johannes Radebe as Lola. Exuding confidence, sass with moments of vulnerability, it is clear that this role fits him like a glove. The interactions he has with the various characters come across as well thought out – in particular his interactions with Billy Roberts as the swaggering and initially hostile Dom stand out. Perhaps vocally in the musical numbers he isn’t quite as strong – but there is certainly no denying his sincerity and the rawness he offers during ‘Not My Father’s Son’ while it is clear he is having a lot of fun with Leah Hill’s choreography in number such as ‘Sex Is In the Heel’. He truly understands the character.
Matt Cardle as Charlie showcases the character’s conflict as to what he should do, capturing the character’s insecurities and vulnerability perfectly. His rendition of ‘Soul of A Man’ is a real highlight, while his confrontation with Lola is a particularly gut wrenching moment that causes such a pin dropping silence across the audience that it creates a powerful and important moment.
I would have loved to have seen more of Courtney Bowman’s Lauren who feels a bit underused -particularly given the fact that her rendition of ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ is a real highlight. Her sense of comical timing in that number as well as the down to earth nature of her character makes for fantastic casting, as does the brilliant casting of Scott Paige as George who really comes into his own as the show goes on to hilarious effect.
While I felt as though that some of the more poignant moments in this production of the musical could have been lingered over a little bit more, it is clear that Nikolai Foster understands it is the spirit and Cyndi Lauper’s music and lyrics that help to drive the story forward. The themes are also really brought to the forefront during ‘What A Woman Wants’ and ‘Soul of A Man’ .
Credit for this production should also go to Leah Hill’s vibrant and joyous choreography for numbers such as ‘Everybody Say Yeah’ and ‘Raise You Up /Just Be’ that works well with Cyndi Lauper’s thoughtful music and lyrics. Credit should also go to the vibrant costume design by Robert Jones and Tom Rogers that showcase the contrast between the characters perfectly with a sense of playfulness.
Overall, while it feels that some of the aspects of the story have been softened, Kinky Boots still has the power to remind us the importance of compassion & acceptance of how others live their lives. Something that has more resonance than ever in these times.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️