High Society at the Barbican Theatre – gorgeous costumes, irresistible songs and a story nobody asked for.
When you revive a classic piece of theatre, there needs to be a reason for doing so. You have to ask yourself: why is this story relevant right now? Why does this audience need to see this, in this moment? Sometimes the answer can be as simple as “it’s a lot of fun” and that’s perfectly fine. But I struggled to find any answer at all as I walked out of the Barbican’s production of High Society.
Following Anything Goes and Kiss Me Kate, this is the third Cole Porter musical the Barbican has staged and it arrives with a 28-strong cast, a lavish new production, an eight-week London season, and a major 20-week UK and Ireland tour to follow.
The Cast
The all-star lineup is hard to fault. Helen George (Call the Midwife, The King and I), Felicity Kendal (The Good Life, Anything Goes), Freddie Fox (Slow Horses, House of the Dragon) making his musical theatre debut as the sharp-tongued reporter Mike Connor, Julian Ovenden (Downton Abbey, Bridgerton) as the charming, infuriating Dexter Haven and Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anything Goes, A Chorus Line) as Liz. These are beautifully performed characters and beautifully performed songs.
As the leading lady, Helen George had moments where she appeared to lose her place. One instance in particular became rather uncomfortable and she spent a significant portion of the evening with a champagne bottle in her hand like an emotional support prop. When the bottle was empty and she sent someone for another, she continued to swig from it regardless. It felt less like a character choice and more like a reach for a lifeline.
The Design
The production is grand with a staircase dominating the backdrop, with pieces flying in and out around it and a swimming pool that is brilliantly imagined. This is old-fashioned, spectacular staging and a pleasure to look at.
The Songs
With Music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Arthur Kopit, the score has wit, charm and that unmistakable Cole Porter sparkle. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I Love Paris, Well Did You Evah?, Just One of Those Things, Let’s Misbehave, You’re Sensational, Let’s Do It – all charmingly performed.
There is a sameness to Cole Porter’s songs and those of a similar era. One perfect, witty, melodically elegant number follows another perfect, witty, melodically elegant number and by the end of the evening, they have begun to blur together in a very pleasant but not especially distinctive way. At different points I could have been watching Top Hat, Anything Goes or Singin’ In The Rain. If you love Cole Porter, you will love this. If you are less devoted, you may find yourself wishing for a little more contrast.
Why is High Society on stage in 2026?
Which brings us back to where we started. Why is High Society on stage in 2026?
It is, at its core, a story about women being managed by men and the women going along with it. Felicity Kendal’s character cheerfully takes back her cheating husband the moment he decides he’d like another go. Nobody seems particularly troubled by this. The geeky reporter is, naturally, geeky in the traditional sense: glasses, slicked-back hair, socially awkward in all the expected ways. The stereotypes are all exactly where they were left fifty years ago.
None of this is the fault of the cast or the creative team working on this production. But if you are going to bring a story like this back to the stage in the current climate, the least you can do is find an angle. A modern lens. A reason. A single moment where the production winks at the audience and says: yes, we know – and here’s what we think about that.
High Society does not do this. It presents the story straight, in all its outdated glory, surrounded by gorgeous frocks and Cole Porter songs and leaves the audience to make of it what they will. For some, that will be enough and there is genuine pleasure to be had. But theatre at its best does more than entertain. It asks something of you.
This asks very little. And that, more than anything else, is its greatest missed opportunity.
★★★
Reviewed by West End Wilma
Photos by Pamela Raith
High Society plays at the Barbican Theatre for a limited eight-week season (until 11 July 2026) before embarking on a 20-week UK and Ireland tour.
