The Karate Kid: The Musical – Review – Leeds Grand Theatre
By Steve Crabtree, May 2026
I’m not alone in being a huge fan of The Karate Kid movies. As a kid, adolescent, and adult, I’ve watched them more times than I can count, and that first one that came flying out in 1984 is an absolute classic. So when a stage version was announced, my friend Dan – who is a huge fan of the movie too – and I secured our seats for its opening night at Leeds Grand Theatre.
Wandering around the foyer, the place was awash with a mix of families and friends. It showed the cross-generation appeal of this film, with parents clearly eager to get their kids to enjoy the classic films from their own childhood with them.
Despite the sweltering heat of the day, the feeling in the theatre was brilliant. And, as we took our seats, the story slowly unfolded in that familiar, recognisable way, with Daniel and his mum landing in Reseda, Los Angeles, looking for a completely new life.
“Perfect Mr Miyagi”
As all us who’ve seen the film know, the setup follows Daniel’s struggle to fit in to his new surroundings, getting targeted by the bullies at the Cobra Kai dojo, and finding an unlikely mentor, and friend, in the apartment block’s handy man.
And that relationship is the absolute core of the evening. Mostly because Adrian Pang is fantastic. His perfect Mr Miyagi is a complete tribute to the Pat Morita version we all grew up with. Pang has the timing, the mannerisms, the movements, the humour, and the grumpiness down to a tee, and he regularly brings roars of laughter from the audience. An absolute show stealer.
The choreography is a highlight too, where martial arts and musical theatre movements are mixed together in a way that really pleases the eye. The training sequences are tightly structured too, reflecting a discipline needed in Karate. And that build up to the tournament at the end is nice too, even if it comes in quite quickly.
As a massive fan of the original film though, I have to admit I didn’t take to the changes in the stage adaptation of The Karate Kid quite as easily as I’d expected to.
“The songs didn’t feel memorable”
The Daniel LaRusso we know has an edge and a rough cockiness about him. But the stage version comes across a lot more High School Musical than Karate Kid. Gino Ochello has the unenviable task of taking the role that is Ralph Macchio through and through. And he went down well enough with the Leeds crowd, but for me, the character misses that authentic, scrappy bite.
The pace of the story felt a little bit ‘rattled through’ too. Although the production stays true to the storyline of the original film, there’s a few iconic scenes from the movie that we didn’t really get chance to absorb before we’d moved on to the next. And, on the flip side – songs elongate some of the lesser important scenes.
At the beginning of scene two, the scene with track ‘Typical Ali Mills’ perhaps took up some valuable dialogue time – and before you know it we’re quickly into a song explaining the famous, but quick boat balance scene. For me, these tunes didn’t feel worthy of their duration. I wanted the story to flow better, and to let the musical breathe instead of moving on.
I overheard one theatre goer on the way out say that the songs didn’t feel memorable, and I’d go with that.
“A basic traditional oriental backdrop”
Where scenery is concerned, The Karate Kid: The Musical relies heavily on a basic traditional oriental backdrop. While it has its place in Miyagi’s garden, it sits there throughout the show and feels a little out of place when the kids are at school or in the arcade. The original film thrives on the contrasting settings between the quiet valley, the sports fields, the school hall and downtown Los Angeles.
They get the Cobra Kai dojo right, but for me the stage version needs more variety in the scenery contrasts to make those locations work.
From a cast point of view, there’s some strong people up on that stage. Abigail Amin turns in a really likeable performance as Ali, bringing a genuine warmth that makes you route for her.
Then, over in the Cobra Kai clan the villains really pack some punches. Matt Mills is great as the intimidating John Kreese, playing him with a terrifying mean streak where you certainly wouldn’t want to antagonise him. Alongside him, Joe Simmons gives Johnny Lawrence the authentic dislikability factor, nailing the arrogant profile of Daniel’s chief rival.
And Sharon Sexton deserves a special mention for a really good portrayal of Lucille Larusso, Daniel’s mum. The eagerness of positivity, and the accent – both nailed.
“Solid foundation”
All in all, The Karate Kid The Musical is a good production that a family can thoroughly enjoy together, provided you’re happy with a few expletives here and there.
Like Back to the Future and Footloose, where they bring the film to the stage so well, I may have been wanting (and hoping) for something closer to the movie I love, both in look and feel – and more focus on dialogue and timing with a bit of tightening up. But, the fantastic choreography and Pang’s brilliant Miyagi ensure you still leave the theatre with a smile on your face.
It is an entertaining night out, and as a newish show it has a solid foundation to grow into something much stronger.
The Karate Kid The Musical continues its run at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday 30th May.
Images: Manuel Harlan
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
