Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum is funny, moving and full of heart

Kinky Boots | London Coliseum until 11th July.

Kinky Boots Stomps into the London Coliseum, and it turns out these boots were definitely made for acting and singing, not just dancing!

The hugely popular musical returns to the West End some seven years after leaving the Adelphi Theatre, with Johannes Radebe making his musical theatre debut as Lola.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Kinky Boots is based on the true tale of a northern shoe factory on the brink of closure. To survive, the factory pivots towards making boots for drag performers, including the surprisingly complex challenge of designing heels strong enough to support men. Alongside all the glitter and big musical numbers, the show explores fathers and sons, masculinity, tolerance and acceptance with far more emotional depth than its flamboyant surface might initially suggest.

The story first gained widespread recognition through the successful film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor before becoming a Broadway musical written by Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein. It remains slightly astonishing that such an unmistakably British story was adapted so successfully by an American creative team, although perhaps best not to revisit the original Broadway cast album if regional accents matter to you. The dialect coach there appeared to have trained at the Dick Van Dyke Academy of Britishness.

Much of the anticipation surrounding this revival centres on Radebe’s casting, and rightly so. While his dancing credentials were never in doubt, I’m delighted to report that he excels in both acting and singing too. He is superb as Lola, bringing enormous charisma, warmth and energy to the role along with a smile capable of lighting up the vast Coliseum auditorium.

At the Saturday matinee performance attended for this review, Liam Doyle stepped into the role of Charlie Price, usually played by Matt Cardle, and he was excellent. As is often the case with strong understudies and alternates, you would never have guessed he was not the regular lead.

Courtney Bowman is very funny as the factory worker harbouring a crush on Charlie, while Rachel Izen and Scott Paige also impress, particularly Paige as a surprisingly sassy workshop foreman. Kinky Boots understands how musical comedy can tackle prejudice, bullying and identity while still sending audiences home smiling. All credit too to Billy Roberts for making his initially unsympathetic character’s transformation effective, if not entirely believable.

This production is not a direct recreation of the original Broadway or West End staging. It essentially uses the touring set, expanded to fill the enormous Coliseum stage. At times you can sense actors practically speed-walking across the vast space to reach the next scene, and I did miss the production-line treadmills usually seen during the Act One finale. Still, the set fills the theatre impressively, and some numbers have clearly been reworked to showcase Radebe’s dancing strengths.

It had been a while since I last saw Kinky Boots, and I had forgotten quite how funny and moving the script actually is. This company handles the material well, while Lauper’s songs remain sharp, upbeat and emotionally precise. I will even forgive her “Everybody Say Yeah” number.

There is one slightly jarring section during the second act when Charlie exhibits some unfortunate behaviour, saying cruel and unkind things to Lola. Yet, when 2,000 people collectively gasp, it speaks volumes about how invested the audience has become in the story and its characters, something you also see in shows like Avenue Q.”

Johannes Radebe proves himself far more than a television dance star here. He can dance, certainly, but he can also act and sing with real assurance. Liam Doyle is excellent as Charlie Price, and this revival of Kinky Boots is a funny, moving, and brilliantly performed production.. To borrow a line from Mel Brooks, it is surprisingly good. A genuinely memorable night out at the theatre.

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