REVIEW - If you want an evening that sparkles, swoons, and sweeps you away, High Society awaits!

We were invited to Lowry, Salford to see High Society. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this wonderful production...

High Society is one heck of a swellegant, elegant party not to be missed!  I have always been enraptured by Cole Porter, and when that age old question “what’s your favourite musical?” is asked of me, one of Porter’s masterpieces is always in the running!  Tonight may have been my first time seeing High Society on stage, but the 1956 film has echoed through my home and heart for years.  Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, and Louis Armstrong are an iconic cast and made these songs feel like home to me, but tonight a new set of legends respectfully took the baton and ran to victory with it!  These songs ooze nostalgia, happiness, and that special warm golden glow which Porter conjures time and time again.  This music is uniquely his, individual, witty, and divine.  True Love makes my soul melt, whilst Well, Did You Evah makes it soar!  He is an expert at capturing character through melody, chord choices, and lyrics that dance, sometimes literally!  Porter’s puns, word play, and invention of words such as “swellegant,” somehow infiltrate our vocabulary and make you believe they’ve always been there!  High Society is a stunning musical from that golden age of Hollywood where everything was grand, opulent, swell, and optimistic!  This stage production absolutely bottles that essence, from every bedazzled costume that drips with wealth, to the confident air of occupancy from the performers and the world‑class musicians as they powerfully collide to bring Cole Porter’s magic to life.

High Society delves into the fascinating world of the rich and the elite, whisking us away to the glamourous lifestyle of the Lord family on the eve of Tracy Lord’s lavish wedding.  As preparations unfold, she tries to ignore both her family’s doubts and her own about marrying George.  But then her charming and charismatic ex‑husband Dexter shows up with impeccable timing!  He has seemingly changed his old ways meaning all the reasons they once fell apart no longer stand.  As their old feelings for each other linger in the air, twisting their intoxicating pull around each others hearts, they are helplessly drawn together like magnets.  Meanwhile, undercover reporters Mike and Liz arrive to write the scoop on the wedding, only to find themselves entwined in the complicated emotions of Tracy’s confused heart.  Add into that their own unspoken love, plus the unrequited attention of Tracy’s gin fuelled Uncle Willie, and love becomes very complicated, very quickly!  What follows is a bubbling mix of romantic chaos.  And alcohol!  Lots and lots of alcohol!

Helen George is our stunning Tracy Lord and brings a sparkling elegance paired with a witty humour to the role of Tracy.  She glides around with an effortless, Hollywood glamour that beguiles us all, and we resonate with her truthful, stubborn streak.  These moments of contradiction allow us to see flashes of vulnerability in her character, showcasing Tracy as way more than a spoiled socialite who has everything they could possibly need.  George leans into the humour with a natural ease, especially after Tracy has had more than a few tipples of champagne and so desperately wants to let her guard down, yet we see the internal struggle as Tracy still has a persona to uphold and we see the strain through the smiles, and the squirrel impersonations!  Julian Ovenden is the charismatic Dexter.  He is incredibly charming and relaxed but with hints of a rawness loaded with his own demons.  This extra layer is captivating, and the whole performance left me in no doubt as to why Tracy fell for him in the first place.  He effortlessly commands with a suave playfulness that just makes him cool, whilst permeating warmth, openness, and charm personified.  Ovenden was born to play this role.  He is vocally outstanding and melts the audience to his whim with jaw dropping ease.  If you didn’t know any better, you could believe that ‘Just One Of Those Things’ was written specifically for Ovenden’s voice.  The next moment, he brings the debonair banter of one who has lived a thousand lives, making Dexter appear outwardly breezy whilst quietly ensuring he gets what he came for, his true love!  Ovenden’s entire performance is quite simply magnetic! 

Carly Mercedes Dyer and Freddie Fox are the incorrigible journalists Liz and Mike, and I have to say, that as a huge Cole Porter fan, ever since I saw Carly Mercedes Dyer in Anything Goes, I was hooked by her talent!  Together, they are sensational and easily carve out their place in the spotlight time and time again!  They are irresistible, bringing the feel-good factor, the cheeky charm, and bucketfuls of talent!  Dyer is dynamite!  She is dripping with delightful dynamics and her rendition of ‘Under My Skin’ steals your breath away.  It is poised, controlled, and glorious!  As always, Dyer is perfection, a harmonious blend of humour, heart, and hilarity.  Freddie Fox’s performance as Mike is so slick and quick-witted that you are completely under his spell.  It is fresh, devilishly unpredictable, and delivered with an air of command.  We are kept on our toes whilst he dances around us with ease, purpose, and controlled flair!  Fox brings a delicious intelligence to Mike, adding a touch of roguish danger, and when he duets with Ovenden in ‘Well, Did You Evah!’ the response is electric, and rightfully so!  Together, Dyer and Fox present an undeniable partnership, bringing momentum, mayhem, and musical madness!

Nigel Lindsay plays the inimitable Uncle Willie and he leans into the mischief making with impeccable timing.  He is a scampish, gin‑soaked charmer with a twinkle of mischief in his eye and through Lindsay’s deliverance, you can’t help but like him!  He is outrageously carefree giving us an idyllic blend of charm, cheek, cheer, and a delightful air of kerfuffle!  Yet underneath the lush lifestyle sits a solid heart who loves his people deeply and offers sound advice disguised as the ramblings of a drunk old man.  David Seadon-Young is George, Tracy’s floundering fiancé.  He brings a wonderful mix of rigidity and earnestness to the role without making him unlikable and indeed I actually felt sorry for this man who tries so hard to be thoughtful, caring, and perfect.  He may never quite manage to be what Tracy needs or wants, but in Seadon-Young’s capable hands, we see that isn’t through lack of trying.  He manages to portray George as someone of strength for he knows exactly who he is and is comfortable with that, and though the others may make him the object of their joke, George stands by who he is.  He may not be adventurous or humorous but he tries, and is a harmless, caring, loyal man who Seadon-Young gave kudos to.

Josefina Gabrielle and Malcolm Sinclair play Tracy’s parents, with Imogen Bailey playing Dinah tonight, Tracy’s wise younger sister.  Gabrielle and Sinclair are spectacularly shrewd as Tracy’s parents, each bringing a razor sharp wit with delicious timing.  Gabrielle brings an effortless elegance and timeless sophistication, expertly woven with a dry sense of humour.  She manages to control without being controlling and brings warmth and love to her family relationships, even with estranged husband Seth.  Sinclair allows Seth to be contrite so we can accept him rather than despise him for the current situation he brought on the household.  He brings a formidable presence, and you feel the power and wealth dripping off him.  Imogen Bailey plays Dinah, not as an annoying, interfering younger sibling, but as possibly the wisest member of the household.  She is full of youthful energy, is excitable, yet filters her surroundings with a much older mind than her age, seeing what others cannot.  Bailey allows Dinah to playfully meddle because she cares, not because she is bored.  She glides into each scene with ease and exquisitely timed deliverance. 

The set for High Society, designed by Tom Rogers, is phenomenal and speaks of grandeur immediately.  Its sheer scale is breathtaking, with twin staircases dominating either side of the stage, ascending to a glorious balcony overlooking the entire mansion.  The detail is pristine and captures the lifestyle of the Lord family to perfection.  As we move from one immaculate room to the next, new set pieces sweep into position, creating room after room, space after space.  They include a drawing room with the longest table full of lavish knick-knacks that intrigue and bamboozle.  We are also invited into the orangery complete with stain glassed doors, and of course the swimming pool where the effect is captured expertly through a low lying ledge to represent the edge of the pool, completed with blue rippling lights spilling out of it to give the illusion of water (designed by Howard Hudson).  It is perfect, serene, and inviting.  The biggest wow moment for me (yes I actually said “wow” out loud – apologies to anyone around me) were the gardens, where a phenomenal willow tree is brought on complete with fairy lights.  It is so impressive and simply beautiful, and again its scale is breath taking.  With direction by Rachel Kavanaugh and choreography by Anthony Van Laast, even though I know the film inside out, this production felt like an entirely new show, whilst still being solid and true to the original.  The focus of the characters have been delicately coaxed in a new direction, making it feel more palatable for a 2026 audience.  The relationships and characters have been given reason and vulnerability for their flaws, and the show isn’t afraid to challenge them, alter them, and embrace them.  And when the whole ensemble work together, particularly in moments such as ‘Now You Have Jazz’, the impact is spellbinding!  This was a party I wanted to be at!  The costumes by Jon Morrell were a heady mix of glittering glamour and effortless chic.

High Society is a great night at the theatre.  It is jam packed with those timeless songs we all know and love that not only have the perfect home in musical theatre but thanks to so many iconic performers, have rippled their way into the wider world too.  When you are talking hit after hit, such as ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’, ‘Be A Clown,’ ‘True Love,’ ‘Well Did You Evah?’ ‘Let’s Misbehave,’ ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin,’ and ‘Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love,’ you really can’t go wrong.  It is such a joyous and easy watch that gives you all the feels.  High Society is pure, unfiltered escapism!  So, sit back and simply let the talent and the magic wash over you.  Do that, and you will be bathed in the extravagance of world class talent!  This show doesn’t demand brain power, it invites delight.  It’s champagne fizzing fun with the irresistible energy of a popping champagne cork, a glittering reminder of old Hollywood glamour, and a chance to dream of the kind of wealth that lets you build your own yacht!  If you want an evening that sparkles, swoons, and sweeps you away, High Society awaits!

WE SCORE HIGH SOCIETY...



High Society is on at Lowry, Salford until Saturday 3rd October 2026.

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