The High Life: The Musical, Still Living It! review – Alan Cumming’s creation flies into deliriously silly panto territory
Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson have triumphantly revived their beloved 1994 TV sitcom, *The High Life*, transforming it into a riotously silly musical. Co-written with Johnny McKnight, this theatrical adaptation is a pure delight, overflowing with brilliant songs and a delightfully 'Beano-esque' plot centered on the threatened takeover of budget airline Air Scotia.
Much more than just a comedy, the musical deeply embraces the spirit of pantomime. It's packed with a cross-cultural barrage of gags, referencing figures from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to Sheena Easton, delivered through direct audience address, communal singalongs, and a visual spectacle that includes an underwater neon-tube dance and Colin Richmond's exuberantly designed, two-dimensional 'Brigadoon' hotel, complete with tartan wallpaper. From its man-sized dog to multiple curtain-call costume changes, *The High Life: The Musical* soars into a world of delirious fun, where even a single joke about asthma is worth the ticket price.
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