Strictly’s Johannes Radebe to make West End debut in Kinky Boots
Johannes Radebe is heading to the West End. (Charlie Flint)
Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe will soon be strutting to his West End debut; he will reprise the role of Lola, in Kinky Boots at the London Coliseum for a limited season.
The 38-year-old South African dancer and choreographer is best known for reaching the final in 2021 alongside John Whaite in the show’s first all-male partnership. He will be lacing up his red knee-high boots and stepping onto the London Coliseum stage from 17 March 2026. Tickets will go on sale on 15 July 2025.
Radebe, who is gay, made his musical theatre debut earlier this year in the Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical. He’s also currently touring the UK and Ireland with Kinky Boots.
He is, and will continue to, play the iconic role of Lola. Lola is a larger-than-life drag queen who performs the iconic track “Land of Lola”. Further cast members are yet to be revealed.
The Broadway and West End phenomenon is based on a true story and also a 2005 movie of the same name.
The story charts Charlie Price’s attempts to save his family’s failing Northampton shoe factory. It seems impossible until he meets drag queen Lola, who has an idea to save the business from crumbling.
The original movie was inspired by a 1999 episode of the BBC2 documentary television series Trouble at the Top. The documentary followed the attempts of the owner to struggling to save his family-run shoe factory from closure and decided to produce fetish footwear for men, under the brand name “Divine Footwear”.
Kinky Boots The Musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster. Furthermore, the show will feature a score with music and lyrics from Cyndi Lauper and writing by Harvey Fierstein.
‘And not just any musical – my favourite musical. Kinky Boots‘
With the announcement of his West End debut, Radebe shared: “I left my township in Zamdela at the age of 21 to dance in the ensemble on a cruise ship. Every night we did ABBA. That was my dream come true.
“Never then, nor since then, was it in my wildest dreams that I would have the opportunity to star in a musical in London’s West End. And not just any musical – my favourite musical. Kinky Boots.
He also noted the role of Lola “was the only role I ever wanted to play” and his involvement in the show has been six years in the making.
“Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper have written a show about accepting people for who they are, and the love our production has received across the UK has been overwhelming, beautiful and life changing,” he added.
“It is the greatest honour and responsibility to bring this show to the world famous, iconic London Coliseum.
“I’ll be walking in the footsteps of theatre and entertainment giants who have performed on that stage, and I’ll be doing it in my own sequinned pair of red leather Kinky Boots. I cannot wait! Thank you and see you next year.”
To date, Radebe’s wider career has seen him as a film choreographer for the 2022 feature Pretty Red Dress and his 2023 book Jojo: Finally Home became a Sunday Times best-seller and has been optioned for a film.
Kinky Boots will run at the London Coliseum for 17 weeks from 17 March 2026 to 11 July 2026.
Additionally, ahead of the London shows, there will be a week of previews at Curve, Leicester, from 3 March 2026.
Tickets will go on sale on 15 July 2025 and you can purchase them here.
