Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum
Kinky Boots played the London Coliseum from 17 March to 11 July 2026, a limited 17-week season, with Johannes Radebe as Lola and Matt Cardle as Charlie Price. Cyndi Lauper's pop score, big choreography and a warm, feel-good story about backing yourself.
This show has closed
Played at London Coliseum from 17 Mar 2026 to 11 Jul 2026.
Who's Kinky Boots For?
- Fans of Johannes Radebe from Strictly Come Dancing who want to see him on stage.
- Couples and groups after a feel-good, high-energy night out.
- First West End trips and mixed-age groups, subject to the 8+ guidance.
- Anyone who loves a big musical with large-scale staging and a pop score by Cyndi Lauper.
About Kinky Boots at the Coliseum
Kinky Boots is the multi-award-winning musical about a struggling shoe factory in Northampton that finds a new future making high-heeled boots, after its owner teams up with a drag performer called Lola. It won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
This is Nikolai Foster's new production, which began at Curve in Leicester and toured the UK and Europe before arriving at the London Coliseum. The Coliseum is London's largest theatre, with more than 2,300 seats, so the production has the room to go big with its musical numbers and full ensemble.
Johannes Radebe leads as Lola, making his West End debut after starring in the UK tour, with Matt Cardle as Charlie Price. Tosh Wanogho-Maud was the alternate Lola, playing the role on Radebe's scheduled nights off.
A few things about the production. It ran around 2 hours 20 minutes with one interval. It was recommended for ages 8 and over, with children under 5 not admitted. There is some strong language, and a few slightly disturbing scenes, strobe lighting, flashing lights, smoke and haze, so keep that in mind if you are bringing younger children or anyone sensitive to strobe.
What's Kinky Boots About?
Charlie Price inherits his family's shoe factory in Northampton just as the business is going under. He is short of ideas and short of time, with a workforce depending on him for answers he does not have.
A chance meeting with Lola, a drag performer who needs sturdy boots built to take real weight and movement, gives him a way forward: if the factory can make those boots properly, it might just survive.
The story runs from the factory floor to the catwalks of Milan, with Cyndi Lauper's pop-rock score carrying the big moments. It is a warm, funny show about friendship and accepting people as they are, and it sends most audiences out smiling.
Performance Schedule
Kinky Boots played Monday to Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, with matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm. There were no Sunday performances. The schedule is kept here as a record of the 17-week run, which ran from 17 March to 11 July 2026.
| Day | Matinee | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | - | 7:30pm |
| Tuesday | - | 7:30pm |
| Wednesday | - | 7:30pm |
| Thursday | 2:30pm | 7:30pm |
| Friday | - | 7:30pm |
| Saturday | 2:30pm | 7:30pm |
| Sunday | - | - |
Johannes Radebe did not play every performance. Tosh Wanogho-Maud played Lola every Monday from 30 March 2026.
Best Seats for Kinky Boots
The London Coliseum is London's largest theatre, with four levels: Stalls, Dress Circle, Upper Circle and Balcony. In a house this big, where you sit does make a real difference.
The quick version:
- Stalls rows F to M (centre): the best all-rounder, close enough to feel it and far enough back to see the full choreography.
- Dress Circle rows B to D: a clean, head-on view of the whole stage.
- Balcony: the budget choice from around £15; you see everything, but it is high and steep.
Prices ran from around £15 in the Balcony up to £150 and more for premium seats, with very good seats typically between £70 and £90. For the full seat-by-seat breakdown, legroom tips and the seats to think twice about, see the Tickets & Best Seats tab.
Cast and Creative Team
Johannes Radebe (Lola) is the Strictly Come Dancing dancer, making his West End debut after leading the UK tour. Matt Cardle played Charlie Price. The production is directed by Nikolai Foster, with score and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein.
Full cast and creative team, including the alternate-Lola dates, are in the Cast & Creatives tab.
Kinky Boots After the Run
The Coliseum season has finished. What the critics made of it is in our round-up, What the Critics Say, and the seat and level detail below is the theatre's rather than this production's, so it holds for whatever plays there next.
FAQs
No. Tosh Wanogho-Maud played Lola on Mondays from 30 March 2026; Radebe played the rest of the run.
For this show at the Coliseum, the centre Stalls (rows F to M) gave the best all-round view of the big dance numbers, while the front of the Dress Circle (rows B to D) gave a cleaner head-on picture of the whole stage.
Around 2 hours 20 minutes, including one interval. Evening performances start at 7:30pm, so you will usually be out by about 10pm.
It is recommended for ages 8 and over, and under 5s are not admitted. It includes strong language and strobe lighting, so keep that in mind for younger or sensitive guests.
Yes. There was a captioned performance on 29 April, BSL-interpreted on 15 May, and audio-described on 20 May 2026. Access at the Coliseum is handled by the venue's own team.
Prices ran from around £15 in the Balcony up to £150 and more for premium seats in the Stalls and Dress Circle, with plenty in between.
The limited season ended on Saturday 11 July 2026, having opened on 17 March. It was a 17-week run.
Leicester Square and Charing Cross are both about a 3-minute walk. Look for the revolving globe on the roof to find the theatre.
Yes. The show uses strobe lighting, flashing lights, smoke and haze, along with some strong language. Let us know if you would prefer seats away from the effects.
Yes. It is inspired by a real Northamptonshire shoe factory, W.J. Brookes, whose owner Steve Pateman saved the failing business by making sturdy high-heeled boots for a market the trade had overlooked. A 1999 BBC documentary told his story, which became the 2005 film and then this musical.
Lola is a drag performer whose know-how about footwear built to take a performer's weight gives the factory its new direction. It is one of musical theatre's great roles, originated by Billy Porter on Broadway, and here Johannes Radebe plays Lola.
On the surface it is a factory saved by an unlikely product. Underneath, it is a warm, funny show about acceptance, friendship and backing yourself, with two men from very different worlds learning to see past first impressions.
Best Seats for Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum
In a theatre this big, where you sit changes the evening more than it would at a smaller West End theatre, so it is worth choosing with a bit of care. Our picks for this show:
- Stalls rows F to M (centre): the best all-rounder. A good mix of being close to the stage and seeing the full sweep of the choreography.
- Dress Circle rows B to D: an excellent, head-on view of the whole stage, ideal for the big group numbers.
- Need extra legroom? Stalls row C (seats 17 and 21) and row D (seat 30) are worth asking about.
Seats to think twice about:
- Stalls rows AA and A: very close to the stage and exciting for it, but you can miss some of the floor-level action.
- Balcony: the budget choice, from around £15. You will see the whole stage, though it is high up and steep, so the performers' faces are harder to pick out.
Prices run from around £15 in the Balcony up to £150 and more for premium seats in the Stalls and Dress Circle, with plenty in between. With us, what you see is what you pay: all fees are included, with nothing added at checkout.
The level reads above are the Coliseum's rather than this production's, so they hold for whatever plays there next.
Seating plan
Dates & tickets
Getting to the London Coliseum
The London Coliseum is on St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ES, in the heart of the West End. It is easy to spot thanks to the revolving globe on the roof.
- Nearest tube: Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines), about a 3-minute walk. Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines) is also about 3 minutes.
- Rail: Charing Cross mainline station is a short walk away.
- Buses: the nearest stops are around Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross and the Strand, a 2 to 3 minute walk. Routes 24, 29 and 176 stop on Charing Cross Road, just west of the theatre. Routes 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 87, 91 and 139 serve the Strand and Trafalgar Square close by. Night buses through the area include the N5, N9, N11, N15, N29, N91 and N97.
Aim to arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the performance, no later, so you have time to collect tickets, get through the doors and find your seat before it starts. The venue is huge and definitely worth spending a bit of time exploring if you get there early.
The Auditorium at a Glance
The Coliseum is the largest theatre in London, with more than 2,300 seats across four levels: Stalls, Dress Circle, Upper Circle and Balcony. Because it is so big, your choice of level makes a real difference here (see the Tickets & Best Seats tab).
For more about the theatre itself, see the London Coliseum's official site at londoncoliseum.org. We will point this to our own London Coliseum venue guide once it is live.
Address
St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES
Nearest Tube
Leicester Square and Charing Cross
Cast and Creative Team
Johannes Radebe (Lola). Best known as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, where he has become one of the show's most popular performers, Radebe makes his West End debut here as Lola. He comes to it having led the 2025 UK tour of Kinky Boots.
Matt Cardle (Charlie Price). A multi-platinum recording artist who won X Factor in 2010. Cardle has since built a stage career alongside his music. His previous theatre credits include Memphis, & Juliet, and the Jesus Christ Superstar arena concert stagings. Here he plays Charlie Price, the reluctant factory owner at the heart of the story.
Tosh Wanogho-Maud (alternate Lola). An experienced West End performer whose credits include The Lion King, Titanique, Ain't Too Proud and The Book of Mormon. He played Lola on Radebe's scheduled nights off: every Monday from 30 March 2026.
Courtney Bowman (Lauren) stands out in the supporting cast, singled out by several critics, with her number The History of Wrong Guys a highlight.
The creative team:
- Director: Nikolai Foster
- Music and lyrics: Cyndi Lauper
- Book: Harvey Fierstein
- Choreographer: Leah Hill
- Set design: Robert Jones
- Costume design: Robert Jones and Tom Rogers
- Musical supervisor: George Dyer
The wider ensemble, including the Angels, was still being confirmed in our latest information.
Kinky Boots Reviews and Reception
The critics gave Kinky Boots a warm, mostly three-star welcome when it opened, and the headline is Johannes Radebe. Reviewers were united on his star quality, even where they had reservations about the production around him.
- Time Out (4/5): "This show's not-so-secret weapon is Strictly Come Dancing professional Radebe, who is a tornado of charisma as Lola."
- The Stage (4/5): "A genuine treat: a sequin-soaked fantasia of mutual understanding and acceptance that sits very comfortably on the West End's biggest stage."
- The Times (3/5): "The Strictly dancer looks more than comfortable in the lead role of Lola, and brings a winning vulnerability to a character who has had to come to terms with being an outsider."
- The Guardian (3/5): "The stratospheric charisma he has when he is moving is rare: full beam at the audience, his face animates every moment."
- WhatsOnStage (3/5): "Foster's production is more workmanlike than inspired, but Radebe's star power keeps it buoyantly watchable."
If you want a feel-good musical with a genuine star turn and a Cyndi Lauper score, the reviews back it up. For everything the critics wrote, read our full round-up, What the Critics Say.
