Kinky Boots Reviews: What the Critics Say

We gathered the reviews of Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum and pulled them together in one place. The short version: a warm, mostly three-star welcome, total agreement on Johannes Radebe, and one practical thing that was worth knowing before picking a seat. The run closed on 11 July 2026.

The Reviews at a Glance

The Critics' Verdict

Three clear messages come through the reviews.

Radebe carries the show, and everyone agrees. Whatever their overall score, every critic loved his Lola: "a tornado of charisma" (Time Out), "utterly magnetic ... you can't take your eyes off him" (The Guardian), "out-dancing everyone else by a mile" (BroadwayWorld). Nobody dissented on the star.

The one practical reservation was the sound. Three critics flagged it independently. The Times noted a mix that left "some of the vocals almost inaudible", and WhatsOnStage and BroadwayWorld agreed the audio could be "tinny" in the Coliseum's big room. That points to the Stalls or front Dress Circle over the highest seats, which is worth carrying into anything else you see there.

They split on the rest, which tells you who it is for. Matt Cardle divided them (from "excellent" at WhatsOnStage to a harsh verdict at the Evening Standard), and a couple felt the show itself is a touch old-fashioned. But all nine rated the spectacle, Cyndi Lauper's pop score, and Courtney Bowman's scene-stealing turn as Lauren. The two four-star raves called it "a genuine treat" (The Stage) and "a blaze of colour at a dismally grey time" (Time Out); the lone two-star pan thought it dated. That spread is the story: this is a big, warm crowd-pleaser, and how much you love it depends on how much you love that.

And audiences are even warmer than the critics. The early word from people who have been is full of standing ovations and "a must-see" reactions, which is exactly what you would hope from a show built to send you home happy. For a crowd-pleaser like this, that gap between the reviews and the room is the number that matters most.

Is Kinky Boots Right for You?

Put the reviews together and the answer is clear. If you want a feel-good, high-energy night out built around a genuine star turn, a pop score you will know, and a real sense of occasion on London's largest stage, this delivers, and the warm reviews back it up. If you want something subtle, small-scale or brand new, it is a harder sell. It is a crowd-pleaser doing exactly what it sets out to do, and doing it with a bona fide star up front.

The sound point below is the Coliseum's rather than this production's, so it is worth carrying into whatever you see there next.

Kinky Boots After the Coliseum

The limited season ended on 11 July 2026 after 17 weeks. Nothing further is announced for this production.

Sources

Time Out, The Stage, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, WhatsOnStage, BroadwayWorld, London Theatre, Evening Standard.