Everything You Need to Know About Kinky Boots The Musical

What is Kinky Boots about?

Charlie Price inherits his family’s struggling Northampton shoe factory after his father’s death. But his life takes a turn when he meets Lola, a dazzling drag queen who might hold the key to saving his business and changing the way he sees himself. Charlie and Lola team up to create a line of sturdy, stylish boots for drag queens, and set out to convince the conservative factory workers to get onboard with their rather offbeat plan for saving the factory.

Did you know Kinky Boots is based on a true story?

That’s right - the real life Charlie Price was Steve Pateman, who took over his father’s struggling shoe business and was on the brink of shutting it down when he got a call from a store that sold shoes and costumes for drag entertainers, in need of stylish boots that were sturdy enough to support a man’s weight. Steve not only designed and developed a new line of thigh-high boots called Divine Wear, he also shaved his legs and modelled them at a fashion show.

The boots were a hit, and the BBC featured this amazing story on an episode of Trouble at the Top called ‘Kinky Boots’. This caught the attention of a team of filmmakers…

Kinky Boots UK tour production image. Photo by Johan Persson

From Reality to the Screen to the Stage

Kinky Boots hit the screens in 2005, directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. Starring Joel Edgerton as Charlie Price and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola, the film reimagined and dramatised the real-life story, introducing the character of Lola as a business partner to Charlie, and the film became an instant hit.

When award-winning director Jerry Mitchell saw the film, he knew at once it would be the perfect story for a musical. He collaborated with his friend Harvey Firestein to write the musical’s book and called on beloved pop icon Cyndi Lauper to write the music and lyrics, and the rest is history.

The musical premiered in Chicago in 2012 before making its Broadway debut the following year. Despite being pit against Matilda The Musical, it swept the 2013 Tony Awards with six wins. It had similar success when it returned home to Britain for its West End premiere in 2015, which won it three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.

… and now it’s back! Stomping into the London Coliseum in March 2026 for a strictly limited season, this revival will be directed by the award-winning Nikolai Foster (Grease, The Wizard of Oz) and will star Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe as the fabulous Lola, with further casting to be announced.

Why do audiences love Kinky Boots?

The musical holds a lot of nostalgia value, both because of the 2005 film, which is a classic British comedy. It’s both funny and heartwarming, and the musical manages to capture this tonal balance perfectly.

Audiences also adore the irresistibly catchy soundtrack by pop star Cyndi Lauper, which features stuck-in-your-head tunes such as ‘Everybody Say Yeah’, ‘Sex is in the Heel’, and ‘Raise You Up’.

Above all, the musical has a powerful, uplifting, and feel-good message about being true to yourself and accepting others as they are. Its positive representation of drag queens and the queer community feel powerfully resonant in an age where LGBTQ+ rights are under threat all around the world.

Jerry Mitchell (The Devil Wears Prada Musical) summed up the musical’s core theme succinctly in an interview: “Kinky Boots has a very simple, universal idea: Accept yourself so that you can accept other people.”

Kinky Boots UK tour production image. Photo by Pamela Raith

Fun Facts about Kinky Boots

During costume design, drag queens were brought in to consult on designing the iconic high heels that Steve and Lola introduce, to make sure they were fabulous and functional. Each custom-made thigh-high boot cost around $2000 dollars to make!

The cast went through an intense boot camp to train in dancing in six-inch heels. The different styles of high heels were given nicknames backstage, including ‘Cherry Bombs’, ‘Stiletto Killers’, and ‘The Ankle Breakers’.

‘Sex is in the Heel’ was the first Broadway song to chart on a Billboard dance chart in almost 25 years.

Cyndi Lauper had no experiences with musicals, but she listened to every Rogers and Hammerstein soundtrack and spoke to Broadway musical stars before writing the soundtrack. She went on to make Broadway history as the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Original Score.

The iconic red boots from the musical are displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

So what are you waiting for? Book now, and don’t miss your chance to experience one of the most beloved and charming musicals out there. If you're looking for some more inspiration for new shows heading into London, check out our guide to the best shows to check out in 2026.

Kinky Boots Tickets