The High Life: The Musical theatre review – A delirious triumph
Making its stage debut, Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson’s cult TV hit is a fourth-wall demolishing treat with songs, gags and crowd-pleasing references galore
Incredible though it may seem, there was a time when Alan Cumming wasn’t in everything, everywhere, all at once. Back in the early 90s his career, although burgeoning, hadn’t yet made him the toast of Broadway, the darling of Hollywood, and the fashion icon of The Traitors. So when The High Life hit our small screens in 1995, it was met with small but fiercely loyal fandom rather than being a sign of impending world domination.
Now that it’s back, it would appear the net has widened somewhat. For although each reference to the TV show is met with a roar of knowing laughs, the musical also has to stand on its own legs. Indeed, the woman sitting next to me confessed to never having seen the cult 90s phenomenon, yet hooted throughout. It’s fair to say though, that knowledge of the source material augments your enjoyment of the musical exponentially. Not least because it’s comforting to see Cumming and his drama school pal-turned comedic partner in crime Forbes Masson back in their Air Scotia uniforms 30 years later. Both are met with whoops of applause and genuine warmth when they arrive on stage dressed as Sebastian Flight and Steve McCracken, as are fellow original cast members Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart, respectively reprising their roles as Shona Spurtle and Captain Hilary Duff.
But while old-time gags and catchphrases are the foundation on which this new show is built (the first ‘oh dearie me’ almost brings down the house), writers Cumming, Masson and panto stalwart Johnny McKnight have peppered it liberally with modern references: Scottish politics, modern technology, corporate megalomania and musical theatre gags all find their way in, giving those who haven’t memorised those six short episodes verbatim something else to play with.
And then there’s the ‘storyline’, which earns those air quotes by virtue of being the weakest link. Like many feelgood movies before it, the show follows a David and Goliath model, with Air Scotia’s potential demise sending the staff into a tizz. Will it be taken over and subsumed by aviation giant GB Air, or will the cabin crew prove their worth and keep the company proudly Scottish? No prizes for guessing the outcome.
The journey to victory is far from straightforward, however, with the flight path veering perilously close to the infamous ‘Lower Largo Triangle’. And it’s here that The High Life gets a wee bitty silly, with a visit to the guest house that time forgot bringing echoes of Brigadoon and The Rocky Horror Show. The fun never stops but the clever lines so prevalent in act one lose their sharpness in a sea of ginger-haired chaos. But we’re never far from a big show number, keeping the audience buoyed throughout, and sending us scurrying post-show to find an original cast recording that sadly has yet to exist. The strong ensemble cast support the leads with wit and energy, a particular shout-out going to Louise McCarthy as Steve’s hilarious long-lost love Heather, and the hugely versatile Kyle Gardiner as Mylie the intern.
On TV, The High Life felt uniquely British, a niche sitcom that would leave other cultures scratching their heads in bafflement at what we were laughing at. With its panto-esque style, this musical version does much the same thing, with every in-joke bringing their audience closer together. And because the fourth wall isn’t so much broken as shattered into a thousand pieces, Cumming and Masson let us join them in this celebration of a Scottish underdog flying high.
The High Life: The Musical is on tour until Saturday 23 May; reviewed at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh.