Pantomime season has started early with a fabulously outrageous musical with lots of laughs!
Ready to take off in style, The High Life Musical is full of energy, fun and camp and the audience at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow lapped the opening night up.
Directed by Andrew Panton, artistic director of the Dundee Rep under the wing of The National Theatre of Scotland, the show is light relief from the world’s problems.
Co-writers (with Johnny McKinght), Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson play the main roles of Sebastian Flight and Steve McCracken and have the audience eating out of their hands from the start.
The story is a revival of the 1994 cult BBC Scottish sitcom, where Flight and McCracken fight to save Air Scotia from being scrapped.
Age is against them but they are determined to show the airline is worth saving and are joined by Shona Spurtle (Siobhan Redmond), Captain Hilary Duff (Patrick Ryecart), Heather Argyll (Louise McCarthy), Mylie (Kyle Gardiner), Kylie (Rachael Kendall Brown), Ann Scott-Jones (Gretchen Betjeman) and ensemble members Ross Baxter, Ciara Flynn, Grant McIntyre and Lauren Ellis-Steele.
What unfolds is mirth and madness and it’s all delivered in pantomime style, with witty liners, smiling faces and pure adrenaline.
The show is backed by an impressive band led by musical director and keys Sarah de Tute, Kevin Ferris (trumpet), Brodie Laird-Jarvie (bass), Andrew Murphy (percussion) and Ellie Steeman (reeds).
A big shout out for the set based at Prestwick Airport, from Colin Richmond and his team, along with lighting from Grant Anderson and sound by Tom Penny. It’s bright and colourful and works well with the musical.
Producer Anne McCluskey is a smooth captain ensuring the flight gets off the runway and safely delivers airborne fun and frolics which descend into chaos as it touches down to safety.
A real hoot and a show which is destined to soar!
The High Life – The Musical is at the King’s Theatre until 23rd May 2026. For more information and ticket availability, please visit: www.nationaltheatrescotland.com and www.atgtickets.com.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
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