Strictly business: Johannes Radebe on making his musical theatre debut in timely Kinky Boots

Johannes Radebe went from being the teacher to the pupil, and it all happened within a couple of days.

Shortly after taking to the dancefloor with Strictly Come Dancing partner Montell Douglas (a Rumba to “I’m Here” from The Color Purple), Radebe stepped into the “Land of Lola”. The professional dancer is making his musical theatre debut in a brand-new production of Kinky Boots throughout 2025.

“I jumped straight into these boots, and let me tell you, they’re very big boots to fill,” he starts. The role of Lola, a drag queen who helps an unlikely friend, was originated by Tony Award winner Billy Porter, with Olivier Award winner Matt Henry raising up the West End. Big shoes, indeed. “But I am quite excited. Honestly, you never get anywhere if you’re not open to learning.”

Having joined rehearsals later than the rest of the cast due to filming commitments, Radebe described the early stages as being “humbling” and “quite intense.” He explains: “Everybody was already on the go,” adding, “But what was beautiful was that they held space for me, and I have to say, I’ve never felt so supported. I’m very blessed to be in a room full of people who are talented and passionate.”

The revival also stars Dan Partridge and WhatsOnStage Award winner Courtney Bowman, with Newtion Matthews, Kara Lily Hayworth, and Scott Paige.

On the day I visit, I’m honoured to watch a couple of scenes (“Me? A designer?”) and hear his rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Not My Father’s Son” – it’s raw, and it’s touching to watch Partridge remark: “You’ve made me hear the song in a whole new way.”

The number, which comes part-way through act one, sees Lola open up to the down-on-his-luck but optimistic Charlie about the difficult relationship she shares with her family. As Radebe says, Kinky Boots largely is an outrageously feel-good musical: “I’m not going to talk about how fabulous it is, because if we do that, we will be here forever,” he winks. But this production is one of the few major revivals of the title, and it feels extremely timely. What with drag being “restricted” in certain US states, reports of sexual orientation hate crimes in England and Wales higher than they were five years ago, and religious hate crime rising by 25% in England and Wales.

“I think what Nikolai Foster [the director] has done this time around is try and focus more on the storyline,” Radebe starts. “And I think it’s important because Kinky Boots touches on so many universal issues that everybody is facing, regardless of where they are in the world. Nikolai is a genius for bringing that story to the forefront and really bringing the story out of the characters. And I think that’s what’s going to be revolutionary around it.”

Foster commented: “Obviously, theatre is a safe space where we hopefully can be provocative. And if people have prejudice and hatred within them, I hope they will be inspired, moved, and challenged when they see a piece of art like Kinky Boots, which is very defiantly against some of the sort of homophobia and genderphobia that is inherent in the world of this play.”

“It offers a safe space for a complex and nuanced and reasoned sort of dialog to happen. But within the world of this play, there is the capacity for change and that change happens and there is an acceptance of people who historically in the world of our play, and traditionally in our society now, are othered or ostracised or pushed to the margins of our community…. We felt really it was really important not to try and sanitise that or to eradicate it.”

Community is a recurring topic in the conversations with both the director and the performer. Radebe confesses that the dance industry can feel “isolated”. He continues: “But being in a musical, I feel like we are a bunch of people put together to work towards a certain goal. It has just been love and joy and support in the room.”

Separately, Foster added: “Seeing Johannes in rehearsals is really beautiful. I think working with a performer who’s maybe not done something like this before and seeing them make choices, find their wings and really fly with the material, it’s such a privilege to see that and know the audience is going to experience that for the first time.”

For both Foster and Radebe, making things shine is traditionally the more natural thing to do. But that simply isn’t enough to get to the heart of what this title, and this production, is all about. “It’s all rooted in truth,” Foster says, giving an extra nod to Leah Hill’s choreography. “When you generate all that energy from a place of truth or protest, which is quite a lot of what the show is, then the energy and the glitter is easy.”

Working with designer Robert Jones, the team has spent the best part of a year imagining what the world is, and ultimately it’s a place of grit that gets a sprinkle of glitter when it is opened up. “At literally the flick of a switch, the factory can turn into a sort of 1980s Top of the Pops art house installation, sort of nightclub!” Foster hints.

Just like one of Lola’s big numbers, Radebe has quickly grown to hold her in his heart: “I carry Lola’s confidence everywhere I go.” He explains: “In normal life, I would never confront or approach a situation. I would always find a way not to. But here’s a story. Lola won’t. Lola will always stand her ground. And I find that so empowering.”

To describe her, he lands on the word “matriarch” – defined as being the head of a family or a tribe, and reels off what he attributes to the figure: she’s loving, she’s nurturing, she’s bold, she’s intentional, and she’s a beauty. “It’s important that I embody those qualities, which I very much think are in me as well,” he says proudly.

Kinky Boots is setting off on a seven-month tour of the UK and Ireland – much of which has already sold out. “I’ve always said that the UK is blessed with a beautiful theatre culture,” Radebe starts, “You can go to any part of this country and people will come out of their homes and support theatre and it’s wonderful.”

He continues: “It’s great because we get to travel to so many places with a universal message of saying, let’s make space for one another, and most importantly, accept ourselves and just make sure that we’re creating a better place.

“And I think Kinky Boots will leave the world a better place.”