Interview: Martin Redhe Nord of KINKY BOOTS at Uppsala

Martin Redhe Nord is one of Swedens greatest and best musical artists with roles such as Quasimodo in The Hunchback in Notre Dame at the Gothenburg Opera and Michael in The Wichtes of Eastwick at Cirkus on his CV.

2024 was a year in which Martin Redhe Nord made a big success on the musical stages around Sweden. At the Stadsteatern in Stockholm, he played Principal Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical during the spring. For a few evenings in August, he returned to Dalhalla and Robert in Kristina from Duvemåla. A fantastic concert version that he was in for the first time in 2022. In August, 9 to 5 had a new, but short playing period at Uppsala Stadsteater where Martin played Dolly Divine. The year then ended with him being on the sold-out tour of From Broadway to Duvemåla for the first time. In addition to all this, Martin has an Instagram account where he frequently posts funny videos that really light up life, so be sure to follow it.

2024 was an unusually busy year with all the productions partly running at the same time, but he has managed to get it together in a good way, he thinks himself. All the productions have been fun to be a part of. It was the first time he participated in a big concert tour and he enjoyed it a lot. It was luscious to work together with other great musical artists and getting to sing many different hits from the musicals with them was luxurious. Tocca-Entertainment, the production company, are professionals and it has been nice to be able to trust the established concept, but still be able to come up with ideas and inputs. He says he wanted to do something humorous and happy and so was a medley of songs for female musical roles arranged. It has been exciting to meet the concert audience because it differs from a musical audience in the way that the fourth wall is broken. The contact with the audience becomes personal and direct and it is noticeable in a different way what they like or not.

To the great joy of the musical audience, he will also be one of the soloists on this year's tour, which begins at Rival in Stockholm on September 14 and ends on October 25 in Linköping. This year he will tour with Malena Tuvung, Philip Jalmelid, Judith Caspari and Alma Bengtsson. But before that, he will put on the red high patent leather boots that the main character Lola wears in Kinky Boots at Uppsala Stadsteater, premiering on March 1.

When I spoke to Martin, he told me that he has not seen Kinky Boots and thus has no role model. He will create Lola together with director Ronny Danielsson and others in the ensemble and is eager to see how the audience response to his Lola. Martin says that he likes teamwork, it is fun and exciting to create something together. A special energy is vibrating in the room when you work together. At the same time, he says that he has a great need for control and to learn the script early. The role of Lola is challenging and requires good fitness, so there has been some extra training and fine-tuning of the dance. With a laugh, he says it's noticeable that I'm 40+, so I have to train a little more now to get in shape. He also looks forward to wear the great costumes designed by Camilla Thulin.

We talk a bit more on what it's like to age in the industry and one thing Martin mentions is that there are new musicals with exciting roles in which you just have to realize that you're too old to play in them. One of the musicals he mentions is Dear Evan Hansen, which is now playing at Intiman. However, he was lucky enough to be of the right age to get a role in Book of Mormon when it ran at the China Theatre. At the same time, there are roles that you cannot perform as a young artist. A couple of his dream roles are older characters such as Sascha in Le Cage aux Folles and the Director in The Producers. Something for all theater producers out there to remember.

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