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Book by Harvey Fierstein | Music And Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper | Directed by Nikolai Foster
The King's Theatre, Glasgow | 11 February 2025
production photos: Pamela Raith
Kinky Boots Glasgow review | 2025 UK Tour ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots is the story of a Northampton shoe factory on the brink of bankruptcy.
When Charlie (Dan Partridge) inherits the Price & Son business following his father's death, he dares to move away from the quality men shoes they are known for and branches out into the "underserved niche market" of sturdy but sexy footwear for drag performers.
Together with muse and Drag Queen Lola (Johannes Radebe), Charlie sets out to design a women's boot that will support a man's weight, and that will also save his worker jobs, save the factory and impress at a footwear show in Milan.
Based on the 2005 film of the same name, a Broadway stage musical of Kinky Boots premiered in 2013 winning the Tony Award for Best New Musical and a host of other honours. The soundtrack won Best Musical Theatre Album at the Grammys in 2014.
With music and lyrics by pop superstar Cyndi Lauper, there are a good mix of upbeat pop/rock tracks and poignant ballads throughout the show.
Despite the plaudits, Kinky Boots will never by my favourite musical theatre score. I find some of the songs - though pleasant at the time - easily forgotten after the show. This album is not one on my spotify playlist. Just personal preference.
However the 2025 UK tour revival of Kinky Boots, directed by Leicester Curve's illustrious Director Nikolai Foster, is the best production of Kinky Boots I've seen. Foster has a magic touch, and he's pulled in another theatre visionary, lighting wizard Ben Cracknell, to freshen and animate the stage. Together they've succeed in staging a far elevated version of Kinky Boots to those I've seen previously.
Robert Jones' factory set is perfectly fitting to the story, but the nature of the shoe factory floor is that it's grey, brown and a little drab. Some of the action of Kinky Boots does feel like it takes place in the depths of the stage. Cracknell and Foster have inserted a massive industrial neon cube frame into the midst of it all. It adds interest, spots of colour and brightness without looking out of place or removing any floor space from the performers. It's an ingenious solution from the creatives here and really brings this production of Kinky Boots out of the shadows.
Johannes Radebe is Lola
For many audience members, the big draw for the 2025 UK tour of Kinky Boots will be the casting of Strictly Come Dancing sensation Johannes Radebe in the lead role of Lola - the sashaying, sparkling drag queen in need of some good boots.
Lola is a massive role that calls for not only impeccable dance moves, but serious emotional acting and singing too. Radebe has pure superstar energy; he's electrifying every moment he's on stage. He has obviously prepared well for the role and his singing voice is genuinely impressive. It can't match the powerhouse vocals from supporting actors Dan Partridge and Courtney Bowman whose range and projection are on another level. But Radebe does himself proud, and proves he can hold his own in a musical theatre role.
The creatives of Kinky Boots have cleverly extended some of the musical numbers to allow for added dance time for Radebe to show off his world-class talents. This is where he shines. If you've never seen Johannes perform live before, prepare to be dazzled!
The book for Kinky Boots is terrific. There's a genuine, uplifting story at its heart, a powerful message about acceptance, and enough drama to keep the audience entertained via script alone. But where Kinky Boots soars is with the big, bouncy ensemble numbers. 'Sex is in the heel', 'Everybody Say Yeah' and the showstopping 'Raise You Up' are the highlights of the show. With Radebe supported by an excellent ensemble cast of fabulous dancers - The Angels - every ensemble dance number seriously impresses.
Kinky Boots on stage brings a perfectly balanced mix of serious dialogue and spectacular music and dance - but notes of comedy run throughout. The marvelous Scott Paige has much less to do here than he has in previous stage shows, but he lights up the stage with his brilliant comic acting every time he's the focus.
The 2025 UK tour of Kinky Boots is a wonderful, all-round production sure to delight fans of the musical, as well as fans of Strictly and Johannes Radebe* As a fan of Radebe myself, I do prefer him in his own shows where he can insert his personal story, let himself go and be whoever he wants to be. But at this moment in time he obviously wants to be Lola, and what a Lola he is. Joyous.
(*please note Johannes Radebe is not scheduled to appear at every show - click here for more info)
Kinky Boots UK Tour Listings - Scotland and UK 2025
🌟 The UK Tour of Kinky Boots plays The King's Theatre, Glasgow from 11 - 15 February 2025 and then continues on tour across the UK in 2025
11 - 15 February
The King’s Theatre, Glasgow
18 - 22 February
Edinburgh Playhouse
⚠️ Please note before booking! Johannes Radebe will not be appearing at all performances. Please check your local theatre’s website for performance schedules.
In Glasgow: Johannes Radebe will not be performing in the midweek matinees on Wednesday 12th February and Thursday 13th February when the role of Lola will be played by Newtion Matthews.
In Edinburgh: Johannes Radebe will not be performing in the midweek matinees on Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th February when the role of Lola will be played by Newtion Matthews.
Please check with the venues directly for the latest updates.
Find Lisa in the Theatre on Instagram @lisa_inthetheatre and Twitter / X @Lisa_Theatre
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