Kinky Boots
The London transfer of Kinky Boots doesn’t just arrive; it struts in like it owns the pavement, kicks off its heels and dares you not to smile.
Thanks largely to the cast, Kinky Boots leans in to the shows emotional charm rather than its camp reputation. Matt Cardle plays Charlie Price stripping him right back, giving a performance that’s refreshingly unvarnished, letting the frustration sit in his voice and posture. Best known for his X factor vocals Cardle definitely excels here. Where many performances lean in to Charlie being the hero, Cardle presents him first and foremost as a man slightly out of his depth, who hasn’t quite caught up with the expectations placed upon him and it sets the tone to the piece nicely. Playing opposite is Johannes Radebe as Lola and boy does she command the stage. As soon as she enters, the show shifts gears entirely. Not in a predictable here comes the star way, but in a way that raises the stakes for all involved.
Refreshingly the performance avoids caricature, instead building Lola from steel and vulnerability in equal measure. It’s less about spectacle (though there’s plenty of that) and more about control. Who has it, who fakes it and who learns to let go. Courtney Bowman plays Lauren with a kind of caffeinated sincerity that avoids the usual quirky sidekick trap. Her rock/pop vocals are second to none and her comedy lands naturally, so much so there’s moments in her big number where she seems to surprise herself with her own boldness, giving the performance a fresh, improvised feel.
The angels unapologetically explode on stage giving us snap, crackle and pop. Every angel unique, featuring all shapes and sizes, sending representation soaring and rightly so. What surprises me the most is how physical the whole production feels, the choreography doesn’t just impress, it pushes the narrative forward with a kind of muscular urgency. Even the quieter moments seem to hum underneath, as if the next number is already gathering momentum just offstage.
Vocally, the cast delivers with precision but rarely feels over polished, it just feels real. There’s grit in the harmonies, a slight edge that suits the material. When the big numbers land, they land hard and not because they’re perfect, but because they feel earned. Billy Roberts, Jessica Daley and Liam Doyle help create a factory floor that feels genuinely lived in. There’s a subtle choreography to how they react, not just to Lola, but to each other that builds a believable community. You get the sense that these characters have histories extending beyond the script. These workers aren’t just a backdrop they feel like people who’ve been holding their breath for years, waiting for something, anything, to change, consequently leading them to change.
If there are any flaws, it’s that the show occasionally trusts its audience a bit too much to go along with its emotional pivots. Some transitions happen so quickly they risk feeling unexamined. It feels like one too many cuts were from an already flimsy script and the successful UK and European tour hasn’t been adapted to the Coliseum fully. But the production’s sincerity ultimately carries it through; it doesn’t ask for permission and that confidence is infectious.
By the final curtain the audiences are on the edge of their seats ready to leap to their feet and dance, so a great night out is definitely on the cards for this celebration of equality. Kinky Boots is a conversation and this cast makes it worth listening to.
This show was reviewed on the 31st March 2026 at the London Coliseum where it runs until the 11th July 2026. Tickets can be found here: Kinky Boots - London Coliseum
Review written by Sam Sadler
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Photo credit: Matt Crockett
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