News: Johannes Radebe And Dan Partridge To Star In UK & Ireland Tour Of Kinky Boots

The Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical of Kinky Boots will embark on a UK and Ireland tour beginning from the 17th January 2025 at Curve, Leicester. The production will star TV dance sensation and international champion Johannes Radebe as Lola and rising star Dan Partridge as Charlie Price.

Kinky Boots features a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. It will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (The Wizard of Oz, A Chorus Line, Billy Elliot).

Kinky Boots the musical was a Broadway and West End phenomenon based on a true story and movie of the same name released in 2005.

After inheriting his family’s failing shoe factory and with a relationship on the rocks, life is proving to be very challenging for Charlie Price. That is until he meets Lola, a drag queen whose sparkle and unsteady heels might just hold the answer to saving the struggling business.

Cyndi Lauper said “Kinky Boots is one of the things I’m proudest of in my career, and I’m so excited that audiences will get to see it again, in a new production. It’s like a happy pill – and we could all use some of that right now! I can’t think of a better time or place to relaunch this special show in its place of origin.”

Harvey Fierstein added “An all new production is a thrilling event in the life of a well-loved show. And to have that rebirth occur in the place of its origin makes it all a billion times more exciting. I can’t wait to welcome Kinky Boots home.”

Johannes Radebe started dancing when he was seven. At the age of 21, Johannes worked on the internationally renowned Italian cruise liner Costa and in 2018 he was invited to join the debut season of the international hit show, Dancing With The Stars, in his home country of South Africa. He then toured the world in the international dance show Burn The Floor before being headhunted by Strictly Come Dancing. In 2021 he and his celebrity partner, John Waite, made history by being the first all-male partnership to compete on the show. The pair made it to the final and recently won the British LGBT Award for Media Moment of the Year.

In 2022 he saw his film choreography debut with the feature Pretty Red Dress, and in 2023 he was asked to be a co-producer on the Olivier nominated A Strange Loop at The Barbican. His debut solo UK tour and follow up show sold out across the UK including a week in London’s West End at the Peacock Theatre. He is currently on tour with his third show: House of Jojo, which includes performances at the London Palladium.

Dan Partridge has an extensive list of theatre credits including Magaldi in Evita (Curve, Leicester), Danny Zuko in Grease (Dominion Theatre, West End, Curve & National Tour), Rum Tum Tugger in CATS (European Tour & South Korea Tour), Link Larkin in Hairspray (UK Tour) and Pepper in MAMMA MIA! (West End). His TV and Film credits include: Randolph Scott in Archie, the story of Cary Grant’s life for ITV, Jamie Wells in Casualty (BBC) and Jez Gordon in Doctors (BBC).

Dan also won Best Actor at the ‘This Is England’ Film Festival in Rouen, France for his work on the short film ÉTÉ directed by Gregory Oke.

Kinky Boots is directed by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Leah Hill, set and costume design by Robert Jones, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Adam Fisher and casting by Harry Blumenau CDG CDA.

Kinky Boots is produced by ROYO and CURVE.