Tosh Wanogho-Maud (Kinky Boots)

Kinky Boots is back in London’s West End. Following a hugely successful UK and European tour, the hit musical is now strutting into London’s largest theatre, the London Coliseum. The fan-favourite show opens next week, and as part of its media day, we were treated to several performances, as well as Q&As with members of the cast and creative team. We were also lucky enough to catch up with Tosh Wanogho-Maud, who will be stepping into the role of alternate Lola for this run.

Tosh, it’s lovely to meet you. Thank you for your time. What was your first reaction when you found out you’d be playing Lola in Kinky Boots?

Wow, I was elated. I’ve always wanted to play Lola. For years, I thought I might never get the chance because whenever Kinky Boots was happening, I was never free. It really was the last role on my list that I hadn’t done.

I’d actually got to the point where I thought, well, maybe you can’t do every role you dream of. Maybe this would just be the one that got away. So when I got the call, it felt a little bit serendipitous. In a strange way, it felt like it was meant to be. I also feel like I’m ready for it now. If I’d done it when I was younger, with less experience and less life experience, maybe I wouldn’t have connected with the character in the same way. But now feels like exactly the right time.

You joined the production towards the end of the UK tour before heading to Europe. What was that experience like? What were the audiences like, and how was it joining a company that had already been together for months?

The great thing about being “ancient” in this industry, although I joke, I’m still young, is that you end up knowing a lot of people. I’ve been working since I was six, so when I joined the company, I already knew quite a few of them.

Because of that, stepping into an existing group wasn’t too daunting. The people I didn’t know were incredibly welcoming and warm, and the company really is the epitome of love. Everyone’s just wonderful, and we’ve become this little dysfunctional family, which has been really special. They were also incredibly supportive of me coming in as a brand-new lead. I had about two weeks to learn the show, which was intense, but they really had my back through the whole process. And the audiences in Europe were fantastic. The show really suits their style of theatre, so the response was amazing.

It’s a British show, though, so how did audiences respond each night?

You know, we were actually a little concerned about how they might respond at first. But they were absolutely raucous every night. What was amazing was that in some places audiences were even reading translations of what we were saying, and they were still getting the jokes. It was honestly a bit mind-boggling, because on paper you might think the humour wouldn’t quite translate.

But I think British culture has travelled more than we realise. A lot of people have a good sense of British humour and what we’re like, so they really connected with it. They genuinely had a great time, which was wonderful to see.

How are you feeling about stepping on stage as Alternate Lola at the London Coliseum? It’s the biggest theatre in London, is it exciting, nerve-wracking, or a bit of both?

Honestly, I feel ready. I love looking out into an audience and seeing thousands of people. There’s something really special about that moment on stage when you realise you’re connecting with all of them, even though every single person in the room will be experiencing the performance in their own way. That’s what I think is so beautiful about live theatre, something you don’t quite get in film or television. There’s a real sense of community, like we’re all experiencing something together in that moment. There’s also this incredible give and take between performer and audience, a kind of push and pull. We’re giving something to them, and they’re giving something back to us at the same time, and that energy is what makes live theatre so exciting.

You can take from it what you want to take, even though it’s a shared experience. 

Yeah, and it's just, there's something, I don't know, there's just something that happens in theatre that doesn't happen in anything else. The only other place where it kind of happens is maybe if you go to watch a concert. But that buzz, you only get that in live theatre.

It’s unique isn’t it, just one of a kind.

It’s just one of a kind thing. And so, yeah, I'm just excited to feel that in such a huge house. 

Finally, I’m going to go a little RuPaul’s Drag Race Final Four with you. If you had a message to your younger self, standing on opening night and looking out into this amazing theatre, what would you say to young Tosh?

Oh man, that's wild. And not that, making me emotional. That's crazy. I would probably say to young Tosh, the only limits there are are the limits that you put on yourself. I think, you can often feel like there's a glass ceiling to what you can do. Especially being Black, queer, that it can often feel like there's only so far that you can go. But I would tell the younger me that is fictitious. Absolutely. Yeah, that's fictitious. The only limitations are the ones that you see in yourself. 

Tosh steps into the iconic role of Lola and if you want to catch his performance, be sure to check the show’s schedule for the dates he’s appearing. Kinky Boots is currently playing at London Coliseum for a strictly limited season until July 11th.

Tickets and more information can be found here.