High Society, currently playing
at the Old Vic theatre, is an explosion of colour and life. It is based on the
1956 film of the same title, which is based on the story of the 1939 film, The Philadelphia
Story. It follows the lives of the rich and wealthy, which live supposedly easy
lives which turn out rather much more complex.
The musical begins on the day
before Miss Tracy Lord’s wedding to George Kittredge, a man so dull that he is almost
funny. Luckily, the witty and charming ex-husband of Miss Lord, C K Dexter Haven
(who is brilliantly played by Rupert Graves), appears and almost effortlessly
changes the fate of the couple forever.
The musical is kicked off with a
performance by the incredible pianist (singer and songwriter), Joe Stilgoe. He
plays a famous musician in the musical and has two well deserved moments in the
spot light. The first is at the very beginning when he asks the audience to
shout out titles of songs, which he goes on to improvise on the piano,
completely flawlessly like he had been playing them for all of his life. If you
have never heard of him, I strongly recommend that you look him up on Youtube
because he is crazily talented. The second moment is at the beginning of Act
2, when a party takes place and two pianos appear on the stage. At that moment, the
pianist and musical director Theo Jamieson subtly comes down from the orchestra
and the two musicians have a playful competition with each other, running around
and swapping pianos while a couple dance on top of them (the pianos that is).
If that doesn’t sound amusing to you, I don’t know what does.
Everything about this performance
is flawless. The costumes are all very elegant and extravagant, emphasising the
fortune and high class of this group of people. Every single actor, whether
they played a large or small role, played it fantastically. The quick looks of
the eyes, the smirks, the quiet laughs all made it feel like I was inside their
heads and part of their group. Moreover, a genuine most pleasant surprise was
that all of the actors had fantastic singing voices. During the ensemble songs,
the voices all blended perfectly and a harmonic wall of sound surrounded you. For
me, Kate Fleetwood, in particular stood out due to her emotional and powerful
singing. Her solo song ‘It’s all Right With Me’ was wonderfully belted in parts
and put goose bumps on my skin.
It was honestly a perfect show
and the very reason for why I go to the theatre. Every bit of it was entertaining
and the smile on my face didn’t fade for a single moment. The choreography, by
Nathan M Wright was bright, lively and a tribute to the style of the 50s and
made me want to stand up and join the party.
Not enough compliments can be
written about this musical, so go see it yourself! This is not a show to miss
and I really think that it should turn into a classic at the West End. I would
be satisfied if, like Les Miserables, it was performed in London for the next
30 years because I want to see it over and over again.
