KINKY BOOTS LEEDS REVIEW
WEDNESDAY 21ST MAY 2025 @ 2.30PM
LEEDS GRAND THEATRE
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
It’s been years since I’ve seen one of my favourite musicals on stage, so I was really looking forward to my trip to Leeds. This cast is stacked across the board, so I was particularly excited for that. Here’s my Kinky Boots Leeds review from Wednesday.
PRE-SHOW THOUGHTS
As I said above, Kinky Boots is probably in my top five musicals of all time. The score, the storyline, the cast, the costumes, it’s always a great production in all areas. Whilst Johannes Rabede off Strctly was playing Lola, I knew he wouldn’t be doing the weekday matinees. However, one person doesn’t make a show, so as much as I love Rabede, I knew I could still enjoy the show with his understudy.
THE CAST
First up was Newtion Matthew playing Lola. What a star Matthews is, embodying Lola in every way possible. Matthew’s rendition of Hold Me In Your Heart was a particular highlight for me as Kinky Boots is more well-known for its big, upbeat numbers, but I love a MT ballad.
Our Charlie Price was played by Dan Partridge, and I loved his take. Again, he has such star quality and leading man energy, and Charlie isn’t an easy role to play. He has such a rich, emotive voice, and I was equally impressed with his dance skills later on, too!
As always, I was the biggest fan of Courtney Bowman’s performance as Lauren. I’ve seen Bowman in multiple shows before and think she has incredible pipes. I loved seeing her in a comedic role, too, and just wish she had more than one solo. However, History of the Wrong Guys is a great song, and she was great in the number!
A special mention goes to Scott Paige as George, who is hilarious throughout, and Liam Doyle as Harry (among others), because I remember him from High School Musical way back! His role as the fashion show runner is particularly funny.
THE PRODUCTION
The songs are arguably the strongest part of Kinky Boots. You get uplifting anthems and soulful ballads and just about every type of musical theatre song in between. It’s one of those musicals where the songs really help to tell the story, and the book goes along with that. The songs don’t just feel shoe-horned in.
I think the production itself was a little on the disappointing side, which is why I didn’t give it five stars. I thought that whilst the costuming was good, it wasn’t as vibrant or as flashy as I had hoped. Of course, the boots are the star of the show, but the black outfits are a little drab for the finale.
I also wasn’t a massive fan of the set itself. The static set at the back of the stage was impressive, with stairs and multiple doors. However, the rolling in of desks all the time was a bit off-putting. I think the previous tour had a rolling conveyor belt, introducing both the Angels and the boots, giving it a high-quality feel. This version felt a tad on the cheaper side due to that.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Whilst the set design and costuming weren’t quite right for me, everything else most certainly was. This cast is outstanding, and everyone is a proper triple threat. Of course, I loved the score and the musical beforehand, but I do believe that it’s a show that even non-musical theatre fans should watch. It’s so uplifting, funny and emotional throughout.
However, I want to note that it’s called Kinky Boots the Musical, not Johannes Rabebe’s Kinky Boots the Musical. You are not owed a refund just because he wasn’t in today’s show. Firstly, it clearly states on the website that Rabede wouldn’t be appearing in the weekday matinees. Secondly, you pay to see the musical, not a particular performer. Thirdly, you certainly don’t badmouth the understudy at the interval for the entire dress circle to hear you.
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