Champagne sparkle, strong performances and old Hollywood glamour – but never quite greater than the sum of its parts
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What's it about?
Based on Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story and the classic MGM film starring Grace Kelly, High Society follows socialite Tracy Lord as she prepares to marry for a second time while the return of her charismatic ex-husband Dexter Haven threatens to derail her carefully laid plans. Romance, scandal and mistaken identities collide in this sophisticated comedy of manners. For this Barbican revival, the creative team have reworked the book and added additional musical material, creating an opportunity to reimagine the piece for one of London's largest stages.
What we loved best
This is an undeniably glamorous production. The expansive set and beautiful costumes capture the elegance and sophistication of the world, while the cast deliver performances full of charm and personality.
Julian Ovenden is wonderfully cast as Dexter Haven. Effortlessly charismatic and vocally assured, he brings warmth, sophistication and movie-star appeal to the role. He even gets the chance to twinkle on the ivories, adding another layer of effortless charm to an already captivating performance.
Freddie Fox proves a natural fit for musical theatre as Mike Connor (Slow Horses fans will enjoy seeing a different side to Fox !) delivering a charismatic and thoroughly engaging performance. Alongside him, Carly Mercedes-Dyer is delightful as Liz Imbrie, bringing warmth, wit and sparkle. The two also had great chemistry.
Felicity Kendal demonstrates impeccable comic timing and charm while Nigel Lindsay is excellent as Uncle Willie, injecting much-needed energy and mischief whenever he appears.
Of course, Cole Porter's songs remain the production's strongest asset with numbers such as You're Sensational, Well, Did You Evah? and True Love.
Anything we'd change?
The challenge for this production is one of scale.
Despite occupying the vast Barbican stage, High Society remains an inherently intimate story about a relatively small group of people. Much of the action takes place within the same house and, while the set is attractive, it remains largely static throughout the evening.
The result is a surprising lack of movement. The ensemble feels underused, often relegated to moving scenery rather than driving the action or dancing up a storm, while there are only a handful of opportunities for the full company to take centre stage.
The choreography similarly lacks the dynamism needed to elevate the material. There are no roof-raising production numbers, no standout dance sequences (like we saw in previous Cole Porter Barbican musicals) and few moments that fully exploit the scale of the venue. While polished, the choreography rarely excites and never quite provides the sense of occasion that audiences might expect from a major Barbican musical.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that the creative team have already taken the opportunity to revisit the material, refining the book and adding songs for this production. Yet despite these changes, the show still feels constrained by its intimate roots. There was scope here to create something bigger, bolder and more theatrical for the Barbican stage, but the production rarely seizes that opportunity.
For all its polish, glamour and talent, High Society never quite becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Who created it?
High Society features music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Arthur Kopit, based on Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story and the MGM film adaptation. This new production is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Anthony Van Laast and musical supervision by Stephen Ridley. It is performed by a 28-strong cast and full orchestra.
Who would enjoy it?
Fans of classic musicals, old Hollywood glamour and Cole Porter's timeless songs will find much to enjoy. Plus seeing a musical in the wonderful Barbican theatre is always a joy.
Verdict
A polished and visually sumptuous revival elevated by an excellent cast led by Julian Ovenden. While the production delivers charm, glamour and plenty of fine performances, it never fully overcomes the intimate limitations of its source material. On a stage as large as the Barbican's, High Society feels surprisingly small-scale, resulting in an evening that entertains throughout but doesn’t blow the roof off.