Swellegant-ish party

Barbican Theatre

For this summer’s musical at The Barbican, the theatre must have hoped the magic of their previous success Anything Goes would be conjured by another Cole Porter musical.  High Society is a stage version of the Grace Kelly/Bing Crosby film with added Porter songs. That the critics loved the score is a no brainer. That some compared it unfavourably to the earlier hit was also inevitable. On the whole though, it went down well. Ace performances from Julian Ovenden, Freddie Fox and Carly Mercedes Dyer helped.  Helen George in what we might call the Grace Kelly role of Tracy Lord was appreciated (‘sassy and vivacious’ The Times). The word ‘Swellegant’ figured strongly in the reviews.

5 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Times’ Clive Davis declared: ‘The Barbican delivers authentic widescreen glamour. Tom Rogers’s elegant set design conjures an atmosphere of east coast opulence, while Anthony Van Laast’s ensemble choreography is more than a match for the bustling rhythms of Let’s Misbehave. The musical director Stephen Ridley leads a sprightly orchestra that knows how to swing. This is surely going to be the party of the summer.’ While others were still trying to shake off the memory of Anything Goes, he found: ‘Rachel Kavanaugh’s revival of High Society turns out to be as uplifting as Kathleen Marshall’s Anything Goes’. While some critics were lukewarm about the star, he enthused: ‘Helen George more than steps out of the shadow of Grace Kelly… sassy and vivacious, she brings a fiery edge to her vocals.’

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

’This swellegant, elegant party is gloriously fizzy fun‘ said Marianka Swain at LondonTheatre. She explained: ‘There’s romantic drama, bon mots galore, design to die for, and another salient reminder that with his combination of waspish wit, heartache, and indelible tunes, Porter remains a songwriter supreme.’ She praised the cast: ‘Julian Ovenden, a truly great interpreter of Porter, supplies magnificent vocals, as does the always brilliant Carly Mercedes Dyer (…) Freddie Fox, making his musical theatre debut, is an absolute revelation: not just a wonderfully charismatic, wisecracking Mike, but an able mover and excellent singer.‘

A ‘swellegant, elegant party indeed’ agreed Alex Wood at WhatsOnStage. He asserted: ‘Julian Ovenden brings one of the best musical theatre voices on the planet to the role of Dexter‘. He concluded: ‘it all amounts to a dazzling, seductive night at the theatre’.

‘What a swell party it is’ said Neil Norman, writing for The Stage. He cautioned: ‘The show would benefit from a more conspicuous chemistry between the leading couple and crisper musical arrangements in some of the numbers. But nothing can obscure Porter’s smart lyrics and the production’s upbeat, feel-good nature.’

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish opened with a summary: ‘Bolstered by star turns – including an impish Felicity Kendal and the fantastic Freddie Fox, making his musical debut – and stuffed with witty, imperishable songs, Rachel Kavanaugh’s sleek production of High Society is an eminently welcome, frothy antidote to fretful times’. He admitted: ‘The show could benefit from a more frenzied spirit, even a roof-raising tap routine (there’s something almost too elegant about the cavorting party piece Let’s Misbehave). Equally, the casual glamour of the 1930s is beautifully suggested and individual performances sparkle amid the palatial Long Island set.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar had mixed emotions: ‘The book by Arthur Kopit remains rather wooden. Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, the show seems so preoccupied with dazzling us musically and visually – with lovely choreography by Anthony Van Laast – that it forgets the importance of story, character, emotion. The songs are heavenly though – how could they not be? (…) It does dazzle with impeccable vocal performances all round and some big vivid voices. But, despite an extended version of Let’s Misbehave, it seems too tame, nostalgic and well behaved.’

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis was taken by Helen George, who he said ‘brings a pert, barefoot verve and a powerful set of pipes to heiress Tracy Lord’. He was not so keen on some of the other stars: ‘Julian Ovenden, an established all-rounder given to windy vocalisations, who precisely lacks the breezy charisma required of Tracy’s ex Dexter. And the always charming and attractive Freddie Fox, whose singing voice proves surprisingly good and gets better, but who is incapable of playing the self-doubt and self-loathing of Mike’. As for the production: ‘Kavanaugh’s staging is light, and sumptuous enough in its costumes and Anthony van Laast’s dance routines, but has an arch air, as if the actors are commenting on their characters not inhabiting them.’

Clementine Scott at BroadwayWorld was lightly critical of this light comedy: ‘In an attempt to conjure up the escapist glitz one expects of Cole Porter … this production has gilded the lily a little too much. Tom Rogers’ set is good at balancing squeaky clean New England pastels with something a little more opulent, but some of the set pieces – including a swimming pool and several garden follies – threaten to overwhelm the more subtle moments in the story. Rachel Kavanaugh’s directorial choices feel hedged in by the gaudy aesthetics, as though the production doesn’t trust the strength of the script to stand on its own.’

Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski just couldn’t forget Anything Goes at The Barbican five years ago: ‘(High Society) by comparison is… a really adequate production from Rachel Kavanaugh. The Brit director has gathered together a perfectly agreeable group of stage actors’.  For him, Helen George didn’t compare to Sutton Foster: ‘George can sing, dance and act – but she’s only okay at the first two, a triple mild nuisance rather than actual threat’. Then again, who could compare to Sutton Foster? but this led him to make the point: ‘I think the want of that show’s jaw-droppingly acrobatic dance sequences point to the fact that this sort of extremely old school musical needs a lot of razzle dazzle to keep it going’.

Critics’ average rating 3.7⭑

Value rating 33 (average rating combined with typical price)

High Society can be seen at the Barbican Theatre until 11 July 2026. Buy tickets directly from www.barbican.org.uk   A UK tour will follow

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