When Kinky Boots steps onto the vast stage of the London Coliseum, Tosh Wanogho‑Maud will be among the performers lacing up the heels as alternate Lola. Speaking during rehearsals, Tosh reflected on an extraordinary journey from gospel church beginnings to leading roles on some of the UK’s largest stages, with Kinky Boots marking a long‑awaited milestone.
Tosh begins by returning to their earliest musical memories. “I started singing in the gospel church,” says Tosh. “Church was where I learned to sing… you were doing it for worship and fellowship and purely as an expression of emotion.” That foundation shaped everything that followed: “I always sang from an emotional point of view rather than a technical point of view.”
Formal training only came later. “The technique of singing came years later when I went to Bird College and the Brit School,” Tosh explained, crediting Saturday schools he “strong‑armed” his parents into allowing him to attend. It was at one of those schools that his professional career began unexpectedly. “Andrew Lloyd Webber was looking for young actors for Whistle Down the Windand I must have been about six or seven,” Tosh said. “I auditioned, and the rest was history.”
 
 
 
 
From that moment, Tosh was hooked. “I was obsessed,” he admitted, recalling being inspired by artists including Whitney Houston, Al Green, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson. That passion soon led to The Lion King. “I loved it, I said to my parents, if they ever make this into a musical, I want to be Simba, I couldn’t believe it when it actually happened.”
Even with such early success, Tosh remains grounded. “I’ve been really lucky that the universe, God, or whatever you want to believe in, put me in the right spaces,” he reflected. “I always think it’s crazy that people keep trusting me. I always think, when are they going to realise I’m a fraud?”
Looking back on his career so far, Tosh said the true highlights have always been the people. “The highlight of my career is the amazing performers I get to work with, jobs come and go, but the effect that people have on you far outweighs any job I’ve done.”
Talk turned to Kinky Bootswhich Tosh summarised as “a story about two unlikely friends who join forces to save a family shoe business, it’s quintessentially British, wonderfully grounded and a feel‑good piece of theatre,” adding that its message of celebrating difference is vital. “We learn so much from each other from our differences,” Tosh said. “The message is still so relevant now, even more than when it originally hit the West End.”
The show’s treatment of prejudice is something Tosh admires. “In order to appreciate joy, one has to experience the opposite,” he explained. “There’s a juxtaposition when Lola receives prejudice from a character and turns it into something joyous. You can turn your negatives into positives. It’s the way you choose to respond.” He added that the show has no true villain: “The only villain in Kinky Boots is ignorance.”
As alternate Lola, Tosh is part of a shared performance structure he fully supports. “An alternate takes on the role when the main performer isn’t scheduled,” he explained. “It means audiences come back to see different interpretations, and anything that encourages people to see a show multiple times is exactly what we should be doing.”
 
 
 
 
Tosh’s admiration for Lola is clear. “Any character that is unwaveringly brave, I lean towards.” For Tosh, the joy lies in the layers: “My Lola is unyielding and resilient, yet also vulnerable. There’s a duality, and I love exploring that contradictory nature that exists in everyone.”
One of the most memorable parts or rehearsals was stepping into the boots themselves. “It’s always iconic when you get yours,” Tosh said. “They are custom made and no one boot is the same, and when you look at it and go, yes, that’s what my Lola’s boot would look like, it’s amazing. I pinch myself that I’m in that long line of performers who have already worn their own boots.”
And then there’s working closely with Matt Cardle, who plays Charlie. “It’s really annoying because he’s got all of that talent and then he’s the most disgustingly nice human being,” Tosh joked. “He should be forced to choose which one he’s going to do, because it makes the rest of us look bad.” He added, more sincerely, “Matt is wonderful, so hardworking, so gracious, and his choices are so grounded. When I first heard him sing Soul of a ManI was in complete awe.”
Cyndi Lauper’s score has also captivated Tosh. “It’s definitely pop and wonderfully earwormy,” he said, though Tosh’s heart belongs to the ballads. “My favourite numbers are Soul of a Man, Hold Me in Your Heart and Not My Father’s Son. They pull you back to something grounded.” Tosh described these songs as “vulnerable moments in a show that has been so colourful,” adding, “Cyndi absolutely writes the hell out of a good ballad.”
Looking ahead to performing at the Coliseum, Tosh described the thrill plainly. “If I could tell six‑year‑old Tosh that he would play the lead in one of London’s biggest theatres, he’d say I was a liar.”
“I’m so excited to see what those audiences will be like.” Said Tosh, and his message to anyone thinking about booking tickets? “Don’t think about it. Go and book them,” Tosh insisted. “There’s something in Kinky Boots for everyone. It’s a limited run, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here
