Alan Cumming's 'The High Life' Musical Takes Flight with Panto Panache at Dundee Rep
Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson have spectacularly revived their beloved 1994 TV sitcom, The High Life, in a new musical production that joyfully crashes into pantomime territory. The High Life: The Musical, Still Living It! is currently enchanting audiences at Dundee Rep before embarking on a nationwide tour, delivering a non-stop festival of wisecracks, brilliant songs, and delirious silliness.
A Deliriously Silly Festival of Wisecracks and Song
Written by Johnny McKnight alongside the series creators Cumming and Masson, the show is top-loaded with gags that tumble out in a vibrant cross-cultural collage. References span from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to Sheena Easton, ensuring laughs that are both topical and timeless. One standout joke about asthma alone has been hailed as worth the ticket price.
The production's pantomime roots run deep, evident in its direct address to the audience, community singalongs, and exuberant design by Colin Richmond. This includes an underwater neon-tube dance and a two-dimensional Brigadoon hotel adorned with tartan wallpaper. Adding to the whimsy are a man-size dog and multiple costume changes at the curtain call, cementing the show's playful spirit.
Turbocharged Performances and Legacy Cast Reunion
In this joyful revival, audiences are reunited with Cumming as the brittle flight attendant Sebastian Flight and Masson as Steve McCracken, both serving on the micro-budget airline Air Scotia. They are joined by a turbocharged Siobhan Redmond as their exacting superior, Shona Spurtle, and a spaced-out Patrick Ryecart as the deranged pilot Captain Hilary Duff.
This "legacy cast" is powerfully supported by a high-energy ensemble, including Rachael Kendall Brown, Louise McCarthy, and Kyle Gardiner, who romp through Masson's excellent songs. The musical numbers range from Broadway to Eurovision styles, packed with internal rhymes and as high in laughs as they are in cleverness.
Beano-Esque Plot with Unexpected Depth
The plot, reminiscent of a Beano comic, involves the threatened takeover of Air Scotia by UK Air and a diversion into the time-warped Lower Largo Triangle. While seemingly cartoonish, it subtly raises weighty questions about aging with dignity, reconciling with the past, and refreshing self-image—themes previously explored in adaptations like Rob Drummond's The Broons.
However, the production never gets too heavy. Directed by Andrew Panton for Dundee Rep and the National Theatre of Scotland, it remains one big, happy laugh from start to finish. The show continues at Dundee Rep until 4 April, followed by a touring schedule that runs until 23 May, promising to bring its unique blend of humor and heart to audiences across the nation.
