Kinky Boots review: Strictly’s Johannes Radebe stars in this joyous musical
A show that salutes diversity, challenges prejudices and gives theatregoers a rousingly good time.
A show that salutes diversity, challenges prejudices and gives theatregoers a rousingly good time.
As Lola, the fierce and fabulous drag queen at the heart of Kinky Boots, Johannes Radebe is a revelation. There are unofficial clips online where his singing sounds a bit flat. Ignore them. With the sound system in the vast London Coliseum cranked up to the max, he belts out big numbers such as Land of Lola with sass to spare, and nails the quiet emotion of Not My Father’s Son.
His dancing, as we already know from Strictly Come Dancing, is sensational, and choreographer Leah Hill has added routines that weren’t there in the original production to showcase his skilful hoofing. And Johannes proves to be a terrific comedian who delivers every one of writer Harvey Fierstein’s zingers with a wink in his eye.
In 2012, Fierstein adapted the 2005 film of the same name (which was, in turn, based on a true story) for the stage, with try-outs in Chicago followed by a Broadway premiere in 2013 and a West End run from 2015.
It tells the tale of shoemaker’s son Charlie Price. After inheriting the family factory in Northampton, he struggles to keep it going, until he bumps into Lola on a trip to London and hits upon the niche-market idea of making extra-large high heels especially for drag artistes.
Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics, and her score is the cleverest and catchiest of any contemporary musical comedy – running a glorious gamut from spirited pop to Whitney Houston-style belters. Former X Factor winner Matt Cardle plays Charlie, wrapping his considerable vocal chops around a couple of rock anthems, while Courtney Bowman, as Charlie’s wannabe girlfriend, brings the house down with the supremely comical The History of Wrong Guys.
Arriving in the capital after a UK tour, the new production has been supersized, with a bigger, multi-level set and stadium-style lighting. The costumes, by Robert Jones and Tom Rogers, are edgier than before, as are the wigs and make-up, and the big finish on a catwalk in Milan evokes Madonna in her touring heyday, with the audience up on their feet before the show has even finished.
Thankfully, attitudes have changed in the last decade or so, so the scene where Charlie turns on Lola now feels overly cruel and should have been rewritten. And the sound design sometimes drowns out some of Lauper’s best lyrics.
But the show’s message, as declared in that closing number, rings out loud and clear: “Celebrate yourself triumphantly.” And it is delivered in a show that salutes diversity, challenges prejudices and questions outdated notions of masculinity, all while giving theatregoers a rousingly good time. Back in the early 2010s, it felt a bit ahead of its time; now it feels perfectly on-trend.
Kinky Boots is at the London Coliseum until 11 July.
Saga has teamed up with London Theatre Direct to offer you tickets at the best prices and with savings of up to 60%.
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