High Society, the wonderful new musical now playing at London’s Barbican Theatre, is a fantastic show and party for the adults.
While Avenue Q, Paddington and Bettlejuice are attracting younger audiences, High Society puts the respectability and class back into theatre with a show that’s elegant, mature, and fun enough to make you giggle once or twice. And the costumes and music (Cole Porter) are first rate too.
Having previously been seen in London twice, along with a revival in 2024 at the Mill at Sonning Theatre (near Reading) where we wrote:
‘Mayhem and madcap hijinks ensue, with lots of toe-tapping with glittering costumes, jewelry, and hairstyles that would put any real wedding to shame. It’s all good fun while the cast works up a sweat and we just sit back and enjoy.’
The same holds true for this production, where Helen George is the ingenue – Tracy Lord – who is not quite sure she wants in a man. While she’s engaged to George (David Seadon-Young), her ex-husband Dexter (Julian Ovenden) comes snooping around. Meanwhile two reporters arrive (Freddie Fox as Mike and Carly Mercedes Dyer as Liz) to get the scoop and all the gossip about the dysfunctional Lord family. However, Tracy slowly questions if George is the man for her, especially after Dexter gives her a gift that is special to both of them. Meanwhile, Mike has his eye on Liz, and she for him.
And set to the wonderful music of Cole Porter – it’s a rip-roaring fun toe-tapping show! Nigel Lindsay is fantastic as Uncle Willie, and Fox holds his own amongst the talented cast including Felicity Kendall who plays the matriarch.
The Barbican is the perfect theatre to hold such a respectable and classic show (on this stage last year was the brilliant Goodnight Oscar with Sean Hayes). Everything about this theatre is classy, as is this production.
www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/cole-porter-high-society