Kinky Boots starring Johannes Radebe and Matt Cardle (London Coliseum, West End) - ★★★★ REVIEW

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: MickeyJoTheatre
Episode: Kinky Boots starring Johannes Radebe and Matt Cardle (London Coliseum, West End) - ★★★★ REVIEW
Date: April 6, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode features theatre critic and content creator Mickey Jo’s in-depth review of the new non-replica London revival of Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum. The episode covers the show's history, its new direction and British authenticity, the performances of high-profile cast members Johannes Radebe (Strictly Come Dancing) and Matt Cardle, and the creative decisions underpinning this fresh production. Mickey Jo situates both the musical’s themes and this revival within the current conversations about queer representation, authenticity, and community in British theatre.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context & Premise of the Production

• The London Coliseum hosts a major new UK revival of Kinky Boots, originating from the Leicester Curve and featuring prominent figures from popular culture.
• The musical, with music by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, tells the story of Charlie Price, who revitalizes his failing shoe factory with the help of Lola, a drag queen.
• This production aims to be more "authentically British," with a stronger grounding in regional identity and its impact on the community.

“For the first time, this is a Kinky Boots which feels authentically British. For it to have been made here and for it to have been made in Leicester, for it to have been made in the neighborhood of these factory towns where the story itself is set, I think, is very meaningful to the piece.”
(Mickey Jo, 07:46)

2. Thematic Relevance & Social Commentary (05:19–13:59)

• The review unpacks the musical’s alignment and disconnects with current attitudes toward drag and LGBTQ+ issues, referencing the show’s 1990s setting.

“This production remains set in the 1990s... society's attitude towards drag performance has shifted and towards the LGBTQ community has in some ways shifted. ...But Kinky Boots is sort of ill-equipped, by virtue of its tone and its limited depth, to really discuss, even as it walks its way through those topics.”
(Mickey Jo, 11:13)

• Mickey Jo points out the musical’s lack of engagement with trans identity, noting that the character of Lola seems poised for a deeper conversation about gender that never fully materializes.

3. Performance Reviews

Johannes Radebe as Lola (15:26–18:50)

• Charisma and star quality are cited as central to Radebe’s success in the role. His background as a dancer over a singer or actor creates a performance that feels both genuine and relatable.

“There is so much about Johannes inherently that just works for this character ... the charm and the charisma and the joy and the light and the star quality that he brings to the stage of the vast London Colosseum is really quite remarkable.”
(Mickey Jo, 15:34)

• Radebe’s singing is described as “surprisingly strong,” and he excels in delivering the emotional core of key songs, particularly “Not My Father’s Son” and “Hold Me in Your Heart.”
• The production adapts to provide Radebe with more opportunities to dance, enhancing the authenticity and energy of Lola’s role.

“I think there's something in it feeling like a really talented local drag queen. It's that degree of authenticity.”
(Mickey Jo, 16:39)

Matt Cardle as Charlie Price (19:05–21:24)

• Cardle is praised for his vocal performance, though the character’s journey is acknowledged as abrupt and sometimes lacking nuance in the script.
• The chemistry with Courtney Bowman’s Lauren is described as underwhelming, though Bowman's comedic and vocal talents make her performance a highlight.

“Charlie Price has always been... something of a thankless role. If audiences are empowered to fall in love with Lola, then we sort of have to hate Charlie for a time.”
(Mickey Jo, 19:19)

Supporting Cast

• Scott Page as George offers a “beautifully built arc” and hints at potential queer subtext with sensitivity and subtlety.
• Billy Roberts’ Don avoids being a caricatured antagonist, adding depth to the show’s conflict over acceptance.
• Billy Kay as Nicola and Jessica Daly, Liam Doyle, and the ensemble, including the diverse team of "Angels," all receive positive mention for enriching the sense of community on stage.

4. Direction, Design & Choreography

Staging at the London Coliseum (28:31–34:56)

• Set design by Robert Jones is noted for filling the vast stage and reinventing the show's visual identity beyond the original West End run.
• The multi-functional set adapts to represent various locations: the Price & Son factory, drag nightclubs, and more.

“I’m thoroughly impressed by the way that Robert Jones’s set fills the space and to my mind banishes any recollection of Kinky Boots of the past.”
(Mickey Jo, 28:47)

Choreographic Approach (30:11–32:33)

• Leah Hill’s choreography creates distinctive movement vocabularies for each community (factory workers vs. drag performers), then explores their overlap via mutual pride.

“It’s the sense of pride of these communities, these British communities in a factory town, and the pride that drag performers in the queer community have had to find. In some version of disenfranchisement for both of those communities. They find that crossover with each other.”
(Mickey Jo, 31:45)

• Notable: The previously iconic treadmills are gone in “Everybody Say Yeah,” which Mickey Jo says is not a loss, as the number is structurally weak anyway.

Musical Supervision & Orchestration (34:57–36:21)

• New musical arrangements and choices help ground songs in emotional realism, especially the revised intro to “Soul of a Man” which is made slower and more contemplative.

Costume Design

• Red dominates Lola and the Angels' debut, enhancing the show’s theatricality and the character’s impact, hand-in-hand with the script’s themes.

“This production evidently leans all the way in when it comes to Lola’s fascination with the color of red and its connection to sexuality and mystique.”
(Mickey Jo, 37:36)

Final Visuals

• The finale, where every ensemble member dons signature red boots, works more coherently and emotionally than previous productions, reinforcing the theme of unity and pride.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the British authenticity:
  “It's more than just accents... it's something about the real feel of that kind of a community and the tangible devastating impact of factory closure on those individuals, their families and the entire town.”
  (Mickey Jo, 09:28)

• On contemporary resonance:
  “It's a message and a character that I think has never been more important in the UK since Kinky Boots has been created as a musical than it is right now.”
  (Mickey Jo, 24:51)

• On Radebe’s performance:
  "The real triumph, I think, of Johannes' performance... is the degree to which you do fall in love with his Lola and how deeply we then feel all of the interactions he has with Don and the way that he encounters shame and pain."
  (Mickey Jo, 18:45)

• On revisiting the treadmills in ‘Everybody Say Yeah’:
  "Kinky Boots has never been a show about conveyor belts. ...I enjoyed the choreography ... and I think honestly, not dancing on a treadmill anymore is not the biggest problem there."
  (Mickey Jo, 33:10)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:18 – Episode Start / Introduction of Review
• 06:12 – British Audience Reception and Original Productions
• 11:13 – Social Backdrop: Drag, Gender, and Script Limitations
• 15:26 – Cast: Johannes Radebe’s Lola
• 19:05 – Matt Cardle as Charlie, Courtney Bowman as Lauren, Supporting Cast
• 28:31 – Set, Stage, and Scenic Design
• 30:11 – Choreography and Movement
• 34:57 – Musical Supervision and Song Performance Choices
• 37:36 – Costume Design and Visual Cohesion
• 39:40 – Host’s Final Thoughts and Recommendation

---

Conclusion & Takeaway

Mickey Jo concludes that this Kinky Boots is both charming and moving, providing a fresh, rewarding perspective while embracing Britishness and community. Even as some of the script’s dated elements persist, the performances—particularly Johannes Radebe’s Lola—and innovative creative choices make this revival worth seeing for both new and returning fans.

"I was charmed and moved and surprised by it. I'm hugely impressed by Johannes's musical theatre debut in the role of Lola. ...If you know Kinky Boots and if you love Kinky Boots, you will enjoy this. Even though it's different to the production that you may know because it offers new little insights into these characters and a rewarding fresh perspective.”
(Mickey Jo, 39:40)

---

Recommendation:
If you’re considering the new Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum, expect an engaging, authentic, and freshly relevant revival animated by celebrity casting and updated theatrical vision—warts, heart, and all.

---

Transcript

[BetterHelp Ad Voice]

A Better Help ad. Hold on one second, I just need to. What if you had a room where no one interrupts, no notifications, no expectations, just space to talk with BetterHelp Therapy happens in a space that's yours. Visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of online therapy.

[Darina, Co-founder of Quo]

Hi, I'm Darina, co founder of Quo. If you run a business, you know the team that responds first wins the customer. You've probably opened your phone to a bunch of missed calls and no voicemails. Those are missed opportunities and exactly why we built Quo. CUO is the business phone system that helps your team handle every call and text right away. Join over 90,000 businesses that win more customers with Quo. Try Quo for [e-mail] business that's quo.com

[VRBO Care Representative]

business support is available 247 with VRBoCare. We're here day or night, ready whenever you need help because a great trip starts with the right support.

[Mickey Jo, Theatre Critic]

After the sort of mixed to negative response that this production has had, is it controversial for me to say that I think I may have enjoyed this version of Kinky Boots which more than the original Broadway and West End run. Oh my God. Hey. Welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel or hello to those of you listening to this review on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I am obsessed with all things theatre. I'm a content creator and a critic here on social media and today we are going to be talking about the brand new non replica London production of Kinky Boots. This originated at the Leicester Curve, it subsequently toured all around the uk. It toured around Europe. So by this point, five thousands of audience members have already had the opportunity to see this production. But up until a few days ago when I was invited to attend the gala opening performance at the London Colosseum for its limited run, it was not available for review. So only now have I seen the show and only now can I tell you what I thought of it. All of this to say if you have already seen the production on tour around the uk, in Leicester or in London already, let me know what you thought of it in the comments section down below. Specifically, I'd be very curious to know what you think about how it stacks up against previous incarnations of Kinky Boots, including of course the original production. And listen, there's plenty to consider. We're going to talk about this story and why it has perhaps been more embraced by British audiences. We're going to talk about the casting of Johannes Radabe from Strictly Come Dancing as well, as Matt Cardle as Charley Price. We're going to talk a little about the material. We're going to talk about new design and creative choices. Much to discuss as we dive back into the world of Kinky Boots. And if you would like to hear more of my theatre reviews, and for whatever reason you haven't already subscribed here on YouTube, then be sure to do so. There are plenty of exciting things coming over the few weeks. As well as Kinky Boots, I will be once again reviewing Waitress as it heads back out on tour around the uk. What year is it? We have Kinky Boots and Waitress. I'm also currently planning my big return to Broadway for this season's spring openings, so there will be many other shows to discuss. But before all of that, we need to talk about Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum. So let's take a couple of high heeled steps back one with this show and talk about the original production. Kinky Boots was first brought to the stage as a musical in the 2010s with a pop score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by prolific queer playwright Harvey Fierstein. It is based, of course, on the film of the same name about a struggling shoe factory in Northampton which manages to find unlikely success by catering to a niche market and designing high quality high heeled footwear for drag performers. And really, it's about this sort of platonic love story between Charlie Price, the young man who inherits ownership of this factory from his father, in spite of the fact that that was never a family business he particularly wanted to go into, and Lola, a drag queen who designed the shoes and inspires Charlie not only to, you know, create this footwear, but also to see the world in a different way. It's one of those lovely stories about different communities coming together and understanding each other. Communities who, in spite of their many differences, also have a lot of important values in common. It reminds me a little of the film Pride, which is also coming to the stage as a musical very soon. And it's one of those stories I think the British audiences always really enjoy and really respond to, that kind of a lovely sentimental idea of people becoming one big happy community and family. Right. It's interesting then that it premiered on Broadway and it had this original Jerry Mitchell directed and choreographed production which was vibrant and stylish and flashy and colourful and slick. Like most of his work in musical theatre, it subsequently transferred to the West End where audiences responded in a big way. And since then it has been frequently seen here in the uk. That original production was filmed during its run at the Adelphi Theatre. It also toured around the uk, but there were quite soon afterwards non replica productions. I saw a regional run with a smaller cast with actor musician elements at a smaller theater. In the same week I also saw a community theater production, an amateur one, and it's actually a great show for amateur theater companies. Many of them have already done it because there's really no limit on the number of local people who you can bring in as factory workers and you can have this huge ensemble. It was interesting to go from one show with like four factory workers who were going to potentially get laid off and you were thinking like, I'm sure if we put our heads together we can find four jobs for them all to go into. And versus this massive ensemble of people all staring back at Charlie with expectation. That felt really dangerous. And before too long, the announcement came that Kinky Boots would once again be back on UK stages with a new major revival built at the Leicester Curve starring Johannes Radebe from Strictly Come Dancing, produced by the theatre company Ro Yo. And I dare say, though this has never officially been stated, that the show wouldn't necessarily have made it back to UK stages so soon if it weren't for the casting of Johannes, who is beloved TV personality as a professional dancer and breakout star on Strictly Come Dancing, which is our version of and in fact the predecessor to Dancing with the Stars. Anyway, Johannes casting is one of those examples of when somebody's brand and personality perfectly overlaps with a musical theatre role. But questions immediately arose about, you know, how he would be able to perform on stage because he didn't come from a musical theatre background. He is evidently a performer. He is demonstrably charismatic and he is a fantastic, accomplished, trained dancer. But he at this time was neither an actor nor a singer. To my mind. There was also another question, which was what director Nikolai Foster would be able to do with a new non replica production of Kinky Boots so soon after the iconic original. And parking my verdict on Johannes for just one minute. And circling back to more of the specificities of Nikolai's direction a little later on, I will tell you that I think I enjoy the culture and the ethos and the inherent identity of this production more so than the original. And that's because for the first time, this is a Kinky Boots which feels authentically British. For it to have been made here and for it to have been made in Leicester, for it to have been made in the neighborhood of these factory towns where the story Itself is set, I think, is very meaningful to the piece. And there are a great many choices throughout which really keep the thing in the 90s, but also cement it as feeling more genuine and feeling more local, the way that they have a more diverse lineup and a wider array of Anges portraying the angels who accompany Lola in the introductory number. And throughout the show, it feels more like the lineup of queens you'd see at a local drag bar, rather than like elite Broadway performer triple threats. And while Kinky Boots has always had something of a rose tinted perspective on the issues that it's depicting, I think it is important to have some degree of authenticity in the communities that you are depicting here. It's nice as an example to hear the score sung with more British pronunciation than it traditionally would be, because it's in this pop rock realm. We would usually hear like, Soul of a Man, even if it was an English performer singing the song. So to hear Soul of a Man, to hear Charlie, honestly, in the history of Wrong Guys, the less said about the original pronunciation of those lyrics, the better. But it's more than just accents. It's more than just having performers from the Midlands, performers from the north in the company. It's something about the real feel of that kind of a community and the tangible, devastating impact of factory closure on those individuals, their families and the entire town. We've seen other plays and musicals about this. Till the Stars Come down crosses my mind. Billy Elliot crosses my mind about the long lasting impact of these kind of closures and mass unemployment. Now, I do want to touch a little bit more on the material and what it's like experiencing that through the lens of 2026. This production remains set in the 1990s that isn't necessarily made explicit in the show itself, but it's been mentioned a lot by cast and creatives, and I think one of the biggest reasons for that is because, generally speaking, society's attitude towards drag performance has shifted and towards the LGBTQ community has in some ways shifted. Though I would argue we're in a sort of dangerous state of flux at the moment that feels quite precarious for marginalized groups. Certainly we are living through period of mass vilification of the trans community, which is a conversation that Kinky Boots has always felt strangely proximal to. There is an awful lot in the world of homophobia and drag and the trans identity that Kinky Boots is sort of ill equipped by virtue of its tone and its limited depth, to really discuss, even as it walks its way through those topics. Because When Charlie initially meets Lola, mistaking her for a woman being mugged in the street and getting accidentally knocked in the head with a stiletto heel, it is explained to him that they are drag queens rather than transvestites. The distinction given being one of glamour, that a transvestite may as well look like Winston Churchill in his mother's knickers, which evidently is not particularly progressive, but is probably something a drag queen would have said in the 1990s or yester. Meanwhile, although Charlie at one point comes out with the term trans gentries, correcting himself midstream, there is no discussion whatsoever of gender identity, in spite of the fact that the character we meet in Lola, who I will remind you bafflingly, is, as far as the writer and the licensing is concerned, for all intents and purposes, a heterosexual character. It is never specified that Lola has a queer identity beyond the inherent queer quality of. Of cross dressing. But Lola, in addition to performing in drag, continues to dress with a female gender presentation when working at the factory and only attempts on one occasion to arrive in men's clothing. And there's this whole conversation between Lola and Charlie about how Lola only feels empowered when wearing women's clothes and feels uncomfortable in men's clothing. And it feels as though we are knocking at the door of a conversation about gender identity. But the show came just a little too soon to have that. Certainly the time period during when it is set, in spite of the existence of trans people during this time, it doesn't want to have that conversation and it's not really capable of having that conversation. And Nicolae Foster definitely is aware of the implications of the thing and definitely wants it to feel like a signal of support. And the show eventually offers this sort of broad and generic statement of encouragement to simply be who you want to be. And they do, to their credit, find a couple of new queer coded corners of the material to lightly rework. They also display a pride flag on stage at the end. But it has tickled me to glance through a couple of the other reviews and read about how everyone thinks kinky boots can't possibly work these days because drag queens are so mainstream and so successful now, in spite of this being a period set show and there being a line in it even then from Lola to indicate that drag queens were becoming mainstream with little regard for the fact that it's actually the shows LGBTQ shortcomings that I think make it more dated. Meanwhile, shows depicting other historic and since changed attitudes towards certain communities aren't criticized because that's no longer how we behave and think of them. And the explicit queer eradicatory nature of Harvey Fierstein's book notwithstanding, it is a charming and warm hearted script filled with plenty of specificity when it comes to the character of Charlie and Lola. And this is the show's greatest strength is that platonic love story, the coming together of these characters characters, and that friendship. When it comes to Cyndi Lauper's score, I've never been a huge fan. I think it's fun enough in the moment. I maintain that it did not deserve its Tony Award win, and while I think it may have been a forerunner of low quality scores in film to stage musical adaptations, it's not nearly as bad as many of those that we've heard in the years since. But I've spoken enough about the material. You probably want to know a little bit about this production. Beginning with.

[Acast Podcast Promo Voice]

ACAST Powers the World's Best Podcasts Here's a show that we recommend.

[Knox or Jamie from Podcast with Knox and Jamie]

Do you like being educated on things that entertain but don't matter? Well, then you need to be listening to the Podcast with Knox and Jamie Every Wednesday we put together an episode dedicated to delightful idiocy to give your brain a break from all the serious and important stuff.

Whether we're deep diving a classic movie, dissecting the true meanings behind the newest slang, or dunking on our own listeners for their bad takes or cringy stories, we always approach our topics with humor and just a little bit of side eye. And we end every episode with recommendations on all the best new movies, books, TV shows or music.

To find out more, just search up the Podcast with Knox and Jamie Wherever you listen to podcasts and prepare to make Wednesday your new favorite day of the week.

[Acast Podcast Promo Voice]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.

[Darina, Co-founder of Quo]

Acast.com hi, I'm Darina, co founder of Quo. If you run a business, you know the team that responds first wins the customer. You've probably opened your phone to a bunch of missed calls and no voicemails. Those are missed opportunities and exactly why we built Quo. Cuo is the business phone system that helps your team handle every call and text right away. Join over 90,000 businesses that win more customers with Quo. Try Quo for free at quo.com business that's qU-U-O.com business

[Mickey Jo, Theatre Critic]

the cast. So let's begin by talking about the reason for the season. Johannes Radabe playing the role of Lola. And immediately there is so much about Johannes inherently that just works for this character on stage, but the charm and the charisma and the joy and the light and the star quality that he brings to the stage of the vast London Colosseum is really quite remarkable. I think. Much has been said on social media about Johannes ability to sing the score and it's not a particularly accomplished vocal. I think it's actually a surprisingly strong one. Stronger than I was expecting for it to be. The role was originally played on Broadway by Billy Porter, who for years had been this extraordinary vocalist with a massive vocal range. By the time of Kinky Boots that had diminished a little bit. And the quality of the score is soulful and passionate, but it's never been this like stratospheric sing. It's not Elphaba for the boys. And Johannes delivers numbers like Land of Lola and Sexes in the Heel with a couple of sections of the melody allocated to other performers on stage and it being a little bit more democratized. Very, very capably, very convincingly, certainly with the quality of a drag queen performance. And I know we go to the West End to enjoy like world class talent performances, but I do think there's something in it feeling like a really talented local drag queen. It's that degree of authenticity. Same thing about some of the choreography from the entire ensemble of angels behind Johannes in that number. Some of them are really great dancers, some of them are gymnastic, some of them are sort of less dancing members of the ensemble. And again, it just feels like actual drag queens that you would go and see. It's a varied lineup. I say this is someone who has been to West End shows and has also been to a great many drag bars where the vocal gets a little more demanding is in a song like Not My Father's Son or Hold Me in youn Heart, which is this sort of Whitney Houston esque power ballad that comes in the second act. And I think Johannes performances of both are moving above all else. I think there's a real passion delivered through the lyric. It isn't a vocal that necessarily stands up to other Lolas of the past, including the original West End star, Matt Henry, but I do think it' convincing and comes as part of a fully realized performance. I also think we don't give enough credit to really talented dancers on stage. And I'm reminded of decades past and golden age musical theater and talents like Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon. Not to say that neither of them were also accomplished vocalists, but I think it's been such a long time since audiences en masse have gone to the theater to delight in A personality that they already have fallen in love with, but also to see a thrilling dance talent on St. And to get loudly excited and responsive when they break out into a flourish of dance and they do a Cheney turn to exit or they suddenly enter into a dance break. And of course, this production has been adapted a little to allow Johannes more opportunities to dance as Lola. It doesn't feel egregious, but it nods to the audience who want to see that, and I think that's great. There are so many other shows that you can go to and hear extraordinary stratospheric vocals. I think it's no bad thing to go to a show where you're really excited to see a dance talent who also let the record reflect. Does a beautiful job with the singing and with the acting. There is clearly this extraordinary care for Lola's arc and Lola's story. Johannes has spoken about the kinship that he finds between Lola's backstory and her relationship with her father and his own. And the real triumph, I think, of Johannes performance in this production, as well as how regal and stunning and captivating he looks on stage, is the degree to which you do fall in love with his Lola and how deeply we then feel all of the interactions he has with Don and the way that he encounters shame and pain. Moving on, then, to Matt Cardle, who began his career as a vocalist and has done a little bit of musical theater here and there. I think his first stage role may have been in Memphis, replacing Cillian Donnelly, who left, I think, to go and open the West End production of Kinky Boots as Charlie Price. So very full circle here. And as you would expect, Matt sounds great. Charlie Price has always been, I think, something of a thankless role. If audiences are empowered to fall in love with Lola, then we sort of have to hate Charlie for a time. He does have one of my favorite sections of the material, which never fails to make me cry. When he leaves Lola a voicemail message after publicly shaming her in this peak of anger and frustration and basically annoying everybody who works for him at the Factory. But he leaves this apologetic and empowering voicemail, which is very sweet. Charlie sort of oscillates in the material between all of these extremes. He begins in this place of almost obnoxious indifference to the Factory and his father's legacy, as well as to the concept of drag performance. It isn't a particularly charming zone in which we meet him. He then later gets instantly and overnight wildly passionate about the whole endeavor and deeply excited in the whole thing, which carries on through until the second act, at which point, from one scene to the next, he suddenly and without much justification or warning, becomes an intolerant dictatorial bully. And there's a suggestion that this comes as a result of a conversation he has with his fiance Nicola, who tells him that his father be rolling in his grave to see what Charlie had done to his factory. And I think there's something in there about the complexity of grief that he's navigating and the relationship he never really got to have with his father. This mirroring Lola's own incredibly strained and difficult relationship with her father. Only once again, this is a layer of depth that the material doesn't necessarily dig into. And so it's of little surprise that Matt Cardle plays the extremes of this role, but doesn't find an awful lot of nuance in between. And we arrive sort of abruptly at a place where he has this real fondness for Lola. There are moments of sensitivity and connection between the two of them, but I don't know that his Charlie necessarily has all that much justification for where he ends up, or that he is particularly endearing throughout, or that he has that much convincing chemistry, I'm sorry to say, with Lauren, one of the staff at the Factory, played by the always hilarious and talented Courtney Bowman. She does a great job with this role, one that I think she played for the first time in a concert production before doing it fully staged touring around the country and Europe. Courtney at this point is making something of a career of taking well loved romantic musical theater characters and reconceiving them through her own very specific lens. She has this phenomenal voice, but she's also wildly hilarious, often in a ridiculous over the top kind of a way. And I think she does absolutely as much as one could possibly do with the material of Lauren, in a way that almost exposes how little chemistry is there on the page between Lauren and Charlie. And she plays one side of this budding relationship and this amorous connection really very well, but it's never meaningfully reciprocated until the very last moment. They just don't feel like a particularly well suited pair. Her version of the history of Wrong Guys, though, from the ludicrous way in which which it is staged that she commits to thoroughly to opt up vocal choices that she makes by the end reason enough to buy a ticket. And you know, often I think I've walked away from productions of Kinky Boots thinking only about Charlie and Lola and Lauren, but very difficult to see this show and not have a really Powerful connection to a couple of the other supporting characters. I'm thinking about George, played by Scott Page, who has this beautifully built arc over the course of the show that I think only Scott Page could deliver in this way. George is a usually older staff member at the factory who calls Charlie Mr. Price, despite his insistence that he shouldn't, and tries to help guide him through the early days of taking over and who is on his side and who is a little mild mannered in comparison with some other factory staff, who we'll get on to in just a moment. But there is the suggestion, as George comes a little bit more out of his shell and is visibly fascinated by the arrival of Lola and this drag posse, that this could be a queer character who hasn't necessarily discovered themselves in a regional British town. I spoke earlier about the movie Pride, and this really feels like a version of Bill Nighy's character's arc in that film. And it's beautifully played. There's a lovely conclusion at the very end. But also Scott Page as George, gets to sing the referee angel vocals in the boxing match that happens in the second act between Lola and Don, which brings us very nicely into a conversation about Don, played brilliantly by Billy Roberts. And for us to be able to talk about homophobia and intolerance and the clash of these communities coming together, we need at least a momentary antagonist. And Billy takes custody of that material really, really well. Don is this stereotypical, masculine, intolerant, ignorant presence at the factory who is something of a bully, who is challenged by Lola's arrival to see the world in a different way and to see people for who they are and accept them, even if they are different to the way that he lives his life and the way he thinks people ought to live their lives. It's a message and a character that I think has never been more important in the UK since Kinky Boots has been created as a musical than it is right now. And. And I am optimistic about the audiences going to see Kinky Boots at the Colosseum or who saw it on tour because they love Johannes on Strictly Come Dancing. Maybe they bring their husbands, maybe people travel into London. Maybe people go and see this show who wouldn't have, under different circumstances, with different casting, and maybe have their eyes opened a little bit to the power of understanding and empathy and connectivity. Johannes is the one who really lands that message. But Billy Roberts is a huge part in making sure that that happens and does great work with the character of Don. And by the end, it feels layered and it feels nuanced. He could be two dimensional and he isn't here. I also want to mention Billy Kay, who is another brilliant sort of villain as Nicola. She does great work in her scenes with Matt, as Charlie and many other members of the ensemble. This is a really great company. Jessica Daly has a couple of shining moments. Liam Doyle towards the beginning, all of the Drag ensemble. I think it's a really fantastic cast over at the Coliseum right now, one which by the end really captures this warm, genuine sense of community, as does this production itself. Let me finish by telling you a little bit more about what this looks like and the creative choices from director Nikolai

[Quo Business Phone System Narrator]

Running a business means juggling a lot of moving parts, and when your communication tools can't keep up, things start to slip. Missed calls, slow replies, scattered conversations. They're not just frustrating, they're lost opportunities and revenue left on the table. That's where Quo comes in. Spelled Q U O. Quo is the number one rated business phone system on G2, trusted by over 90,000 businesses. One shared business number for calls and texts so every conversation stays visible, organized and accountable. It works from an app or computer. You can keep your existing number, add teammates and sync your CRM, letting you scale without adding complexity. And with built in AI, Quo logs, calls, summarizes conversations and flags next steps Even after hours Stop missing customers. Stop leaving revenue on the table. Try Quo free and get 20% off your first six months at quo.comtech that's quo.com tech quo no missed calls, no

[VRBO Care Representative]

missed customers at vrbo, we understand that even the best of plans sometimes need a little support, so we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by our VRBO Care Guarantee, giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready before your stay through the moments in between and after your trip. Because a great trip starts with peace of mind and maybe a good playlist, but we've got the peace of mind part covered.

[Mickey Jo, Theatre Critic]

Now I will begin by telling you if you haven't visited the London Coliseum is a vast stage. They tend to have musicals there each year, but it is quite frequently the home of opera and the English National Opera, and it's a challenge for any production to really fill that space, especially one which has already toured to a variety of different UK venues. This production, I gather, has been a little bit enhanced and upgraded for this London run, but I'm thoroughly impressed by the way that Robert Jones's set fills the space and to my mind banishes any recollection of kinky Boots of the past. We see a factory floor with stairs up to a higher office level in the back, and a bathroom that can push out and emerge forwards or be revealed via a translucent wall, as well as a couple of different entrances and exits. All of the staff work across these sort of benches and tables that can turn into different things. When we transition into a drag nightclub, sort of layered on the top of that set, then they turn into dressing tables, that sort of thing. It can be a bar, it can be wherever else it needs to be. But it's a gorgeous, detailed set. I had the chance to see it up close. And I love this sort of carousel. I don't know what you'd call it. I obviously haven't spent much time in factories. There's this sort of carousel, this sort of line of shoes that revolves around. In an oval shape and descends down in the very high octane opening number, which I've never thought is a particularly great song. When they're singing the most beautiful thing in the world. The most beautiful thing in the world, Charlie. That I know, that I know. When they're singing about shoes. I love the way it's choreographed. We'll talk about Leah Hill's work in just a moment. But it gives you impact and it gives you welcome to a West End show with jazz hands and punchy choreography. And just this arrival of this set and the unveiling of the Price and Son factory in its prime and with a flourish before we then have these scenes talking about its downfall. I think that's a really great way to start. And pride is the all encompassing word here. I think that's very much something that Nikolaj Foster uplifts throughout the production. It's also evident in Lear Hill's choreography. At the Media Call a couple of weeks ago, I spoke to her about how she stylized these two different groups and their eventual coming together. Right. Because you have these distinct communities. You have the factory workers, you have the drag performers. And when one arrives into the world of the other, it has to feel distinct. And they do have very different styles of movement in terms of posture, in terms of flourish and detail. But also one of, I think the best parts of this choreography is finding the overlap and finding what they actually have in common. And it's the this sense of pride of these communities, these British communities in a factory town, and the pride that they have for the work that they do. And being a third generation staff member at this factory versus the pride that drag performers in the queer community have had to find. And in Some version of disenfranchisement for both of those communities. They find that crossover with. With each other. I mentioned that there are more overt moments of dance because of Johannes's casting. The song that opens the second act, which may be my least favorite in the score, when they're singing about what a woman wants and they're singing what a man, what a man, what a man, what a man, what a man, what a man. That, pursuant to the melody with which it's being written, turns into slightly more of a tango. And you have a moment of Lola and Don dancing the tango together. We also have a lot of moments of like a little cha cha two step choreography. In amongst all of the drag stuff as well, there's been much conversation about the end of act one number. Everybody say, yeah, no longer having conveyor belt treadmills, whatever you want to call them, and how a lot of people left disappointed because of that. And to this I say Kinky Boots has never been a show about conveyor belts. And perhaps it's easier for me because this is not the first non replica production that I've seen. But also I wasn't anticipating that. I enjoyed the choreography that we were able to stage without that particular set, because piece in the way I did think it exposed what I've always suspected, which is that this is just a really poorly written song, especially in terms of the lyric, eventually, when you get down to it, we're just saying yeah, over and over and over again. And at the height of their giddy creative collaboration, that doesn't really tell us a lot about the emotional journey for Charlie or Lola or any of these staff members who until about five minutes ago were all about to lose their job. And I get it, the boots came out nice. But I think there's something more than you could all say rather than just yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think honestly, not dancing on a treadmill anymore is not the biggest problem there. Meanwhile, let's talk about some more of the music. Stephen Aremus is responsible for the original Broadway arrangements and orchestrations of Cyndi Lauper's score. There are some new interesting choices, presumably made by musical supervisor for this production due to George Dyer. Like the beginning of Soul of a Man, this is one of the most conspicuous and it highlighted me. I'd never really given it much thought, but how sort of emotionally false this moment is when Charlie has just been reminded of the grief he's experiencing for the relatively recent loss of his father, from whom he had essentially become estranged all of about five minutes before his death, death, following which he's just had this public meltdown and brutally shamed his newest friend in front of all of his employees who have walked out in response to his tyrannical behavior. And he has this little slow reprise before leading into Soul of a Man, which usually begins with him seeing like I'm Bad News, Black and Blues like this sort of a soft rock power ballad. And it's very Boy Banned. And, you know, no one at their emotional lowest has ever sounded boy Banned. And what this production does, which I think reminds us of the context of grief in which all of this is being experienced, is to stage him slumped down by a desk, feet away from a rack of fabric that he's just pushed onto the floor like a caveman. And the opening of this song, which eventually gets up to speed because, you know, it's still the number that it is, is instead slow and steady and sort of empty and led by him. And it's just his vocal slowed right down singing I'm Bad News, a black and blues, like whatever the lyrics are. But it's much freer giving him that extra little time before we get into the momentum of the song to really contemplate it. And you hear the lyrics are new with a choice like that. We also have to talk about costume design with this show. Robert Jones and Tom Rogers are the co costume designers. Some people have been critical of the introduction of Lola, rising up through the stage in Land of Lola alongside a bunch of other angels who are likewise all dressed head to toe in red. Red costumes, red shoes, red wigs. And arguably, this dramaturgically makes a lot of sense because Lola insists that red is the only possible color. It's sort of strange in the original production, in hindsight, for Lola to make such a big deal about the boots having to be red. Like, pink is the color of this, blue is the color of this, purple is for this, yellow is for this. But red is for sex. What we're selling is sex. They have to be red only for the eventual line of boots to feature a bunch of them, only one of which is red. And this production evidently leans all the way in when it comes to Lola's fascination with the color of red and its connection to sexuality and mystique. And there is something I realize, and I agree, in the overpowering impact of an entirely red ensemble. It's the reason why, you know, you tell everyone to wear black or white to your birthday party and then you show up wearing red so that you stand out amongst the lineup. But I think what they're really going for here, especially through Charlie's eyes, is to go from the world that he knows and suddenly be hit by this completely overpowering explosion of color and intensity. And it works for me. This totally hyper saturated red, red lighting, like all of it world that he suddenly found himself in, it's so over the top. Meanwhile, we have a line of boots by the end that are all entirely red. As with previous productions, you see everyone in the ensemble eventually giving a curtain call, all wearing these boots, all coming together. It's a beautiful image. And they're all some version of the iconic red boots, which I think is a better choice. I think it feels a little bit more realistic that this is what they were manufacturing rather than suddenly having these drag performers arrive wearing these elaborate British inspired outfits. Like one of them looks like a Beefeater and one of them looks like a cricketer. That always felt over the top, campy in a way that no longer felt truthful. And it's still over the top, it's still campy. In Nikolai's production we have Johannes at the very end descending down from above in order to walk that final catwalk in Milan when he surprises Charlie in a cute little cut off wig. Johannes looks gorgeous, by the way, throughout this show. I love the new version of a look for hold me in your heart. It used to be a little bit more Whitney inspired, but now it feels maybe a little more Diana Ross esque. And there's a billowing sleeve and a Curly sort of 50s, 60s, 60s updo haircut in a gorgeous sort of a honey blonde color. Absolutely stunning. We first meet Johannes in a very short finger wave wig. So when we then see him in a longer free flowing version, it's so gorgeous. And there are brilliant little choices stitched purposefully throughout the thing. Like the reappearance of Charlie and Lola's younger selves when they connect in this song about their fathers as well as the little asides and unspoken moments that Scott Page had as as George. Every decision made here is to uplift the themes of community and coming together and acceptance and pride. It's what makes Kinky Boots a joy to watch on stage as much now as it's ever been. And those are my thoughts about this new production. I would love to hear what you think if you've had the chance to see it already. Let me know in the comment section down below. I think there are still inevitably some shortcomings in the material that keep me from all the way loving Kinky Boots. But I had a fantastic time going to see this production. I was charmed and moved and surprised by it. I'm hugely impressed by Johannes's musical theatre debut in the role of Lola. I think he commands such star quality on the stage. And I think if you know Kinky Boots and if you love Kinky Boots, you will enjoy this. Even though it's different to the production that you may know because it offers offers new little insights into these characters and a rewarding fresh perspective. So if you haven't already made plans, go and check it out at the London Coliseum. In the meantime, if you would like to hear my thoughts on other upcoming new musicals, make sure to subscribe right here on YouTube or follow me on podcast platforms. And if you want to keep up with everything I'm seeing and everything I'm saying about it, the easiest way to do that is to subscribe to my free weekly Substack newsletter. You'll get an email every Monday with an update about the week that's just gone and the one that's coming up. You can find the link to that in the description of this video. For now, thank you so much for listening to this review. I hope you enjoyed and as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day. For 10 more seconds, I'm Minky Jo Theatre. Oh my God. Hey. Thanks for watching. Have a Stagey day. Subscribe

[VRBO Care Representative]

with VRBill's last minute deals. You can save over $50 on your spring getaway. So whether it's a Mountain Escape City break or a week at the beach, there's still time to get great discounts. Book your next day now. Average savings $72 select homes only

[Acast Podcast Promo Voice]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend

[Henrik, Podcast Host]

Hi Hi, I'm Henrik and I make a podcast called Fall Asleep with Henrik. It's for people who can't sleep and it's just me. I talk for about an hour. I improvise. No script, no music, no advice, nothing you really need to do. You don't even have to listen to be honest. Just put it on and let yourself drift. Fall Asleep With Henrik is available wherever you get your podcast.

[Acast Podcast Promo Voice]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.