Kinky Boots with Johannes Radebe, Dan Partridge and Courtney Bowman – first look rehearsal photos released

Take a look inside the rehearsal room of the brand-new revival of Kinky Boots.

The Made at Curve production will launch its UK and Ireland tour in Leicester this month. Johannes Radebe is set to make his musical theatre debut as Lola, with Dan Partridge as Charlie Price and WhatsOnStage Award winner Courtney Bowman as Lauren.

Newtion Matthews will play Lola at certain performances while playing Simon Senior for all others. Also in the cast are Kara Lily Hayworth as Nicola, Joe Caffrey (Billy Elliot) as Don, Kathryn Barnes (Guys and Dolls) as Pat, Lucy Williamson (Fame) as Trish, Jonathan Dryden Taylor (Fiddler on the Roof) as Mr Price, Scott Paige as George and Liam Doyle (Heathers the Musical) as Harry.

They’re joined by Kofi Dennis (Hamlet), Ru Fisher (Something Rotten! Live in Concert), Ben Middleton (Grease), Ashley-Jordon Packer (A Chorus Line), Cerys Burton (The Odyssey), Cole Dunn (The Wizard of Oz), Kaya Farrugia (There’s No Place Like Home), Jordan Isaac (Evita), Deena Kapadia (Grease), Tori McDougall (Billy Elliot) and Liam McEvoy (Legally Blonde).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WhatsOnStage (@whatsonstage)

Kinky Boots is a Tony, Olivier, Grammy and WhatsOnStage Award-winning musical, featuring a book by Harvey Fierstein and a score by Cyndi Lauper. Based on the 2005 film (which was inspired by true events), it tells the story of a struggling shoe factory in Northampton that attempts to save itself by tapping into a niche market – boots for drag queens.

The show is directed by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Leah Hill, set and costume design by Robert Jones, musical supervision by George Dyer, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Adam Fisher, casting by Harry Blumenau, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates with associate direction by Michaela Powell, associate choreography by Johnny Bishop, associate sound design by Harry Barker with production management by Setting Line.

Get a flavour of the show in our exclusive video below, and keep an eye out for our interviews with the cast and creatives coming soon!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WhatsOnStage (@whatsonstage)

The tour launches at Leicester Curve (17 to 25 January 2025), before heading to New Victoria Theatre, Woking (28 January to 1 February), Manchester Palace Theatre (4 to 8 February), Glasgow Kings Theatre (11 to 15 February), Edinburgh Playhouse (18 to 22 February), Truro Hall for Cornwall (25 February to 1 March), Norwich Theatre Royal (4 to 8 March), Milton Keynes Theatre (11 to 15 March), Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (18 to 22 March), Brighton Theatre Royal (25 to 29 March), Birmingham Hippodrome (15 to 19 April), Plymouth Theatre Royal (22 to 26 April), Stockton Globe (29 April to 3 May), Newcastle Theatre Royal (6 to 10 May), Bristol Hippodrome (13 to 17 May), Leeds Grand Theatre (20 to 24 May), Southampton Mayflower Theatre (27 to 31 May), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend (3 to 7 June), Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (10 to 14 June), Belfast Grand Opera House (17 to 21 June), Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (24 to 28 June), Nottingham Theatre Royal (1 to 5 July), Liverpool Empire (8 to 12 July), Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin (15 to 19 July), and Oxford New Theatre (22 to 26 July).

Radebe is not scheduled to appear in Brighton and Oxford.

Select tour dates are on sale below.