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★★★★½
Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Kinky Boots’ is back in London for a limited run, following on from a highly successful UK, Ireland and European tour. I was fortunate enough to see this production at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury last year and it was one of my favourite shows of 2026. The show has found a home at the London Coliseum until July 2026 and continues to feature Johannes Radebe in the role of Lola. Even though this musical officially opened in March, I had the opportunity to watch it at the London Coliseum this week thanks to the team at SeatPlan. SeatPlan is a ticket platform that also invites theatre fans to share photos of the views from their seats, to help others make the perfect choice for their next theatre trip. It was brilliant to have the opportunity to see how the production has changed for the West End run and share some thoughts on this feel-good show.
Initial thoughts
In my previous review I summarised the narrative in detail, but for the benefit of newcomers to the musical, ‘Kinky Boots’ follows Charlie Price (Matt Cardle): the heir to a Northampton shoe factory, which faces closure unless he can find a new niche market which will generate sales. Charlie joins forces with London-based drag queen Lola (Johannes Radebe) in order to create a new product that will support men dancing in heels. Lots of the cast have returned for the West End, with Johannes Radebe and Courtney Bowman (Lauren) reprising their roles and Matt Cardle joining the production as Charlie. The principal cast lead this company with so much charisma and it is impossible to watch this show and not be drawn to the stage presence of the Strictly Come Dancing star. He has really grown into the musical side of the role and the new costume, wigs, hair and make up changes for Lola take the overall style of the production to a whole new level.
Scaling the production for London
My biggest concern about this transfer was how would the production scale to the vast size of the Coliseum. It is the West End’s largest venue and naturally the touring production was designed for smaller spaces. These concerns were largely dismissed as soon as I saw how the Price & Son factory expands across the entire stage. There is also a larger cast for the London run, providing more ensemble backing in musical numbers and increasing the impact of Leah Hill’s choreography.
That being said, there are a couple of scenes where the audience feels very far away from the action. From conversations in Charlie’s office on the upper level of the factory to Lola’s reflections in the staff bathroom, some of the more intimate moments risk getting lost at the back of this large stage. I would like to have seen these positioned slightly further forward at the Coliseum, considering how much larger this space is.
The ultimate uplifting musical
Despite this, I wholeheartedly believe that this production of ‘Kinky Boots’ is a spectacular addition to the West End. Not only is it a dazzling evening out at the theatre, but it also has some really important messaging about acceptance that we all need right now. A huge thank you to the SeatPlan team for having me in to review. You can secure tickets to Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum via their website now. There are some exciting weekday offers for selected upcoming dates.
*My ticket for ‘Kinky Boots’ was gifted in exchange for sharing social content.
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