A step back in time as classic Cole Porter musical High Society opens at New Theatre Cardiff

Thanks to New Theatre Cardiff for providing tickets to High Society for the purpose of this review

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I felt like I stepped back in time last night as High Society the musical opened at Cardiff‘s New Theatre.

The 1956 musical film starred Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and in turn was based on the film The Philadelphia Story, starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart.

This glamorous stage adaptation, which comes to Cardiff direct from London’s Barbican Theatre, feels so wonderfully nostalgic and comforting, especially as it borrows a number of Porter’s best songs from other musicals. It’s a mostly older audience tonight, and the smiles of recognition, swaying and tapping along are infectious.

Call The Midwife’s Helen George plays socialite Tracy Lord who we meet in the run up to her wedding to the dull, humourless and not very well-liked George (David Seadon-Young). However, things don’t go to plan when her former husband Dexter (Julian Ovenden), who still has feelings for her, and tabloid reporter Mike (Freddie Fox) and photographer Liz (Carly Mercedes Dyer) turn up pretending to be family friends, alongside a scandal involving Tracy’s missing father (Malcolm Sinclair) and a drunken Uncle Willie (Nigel Lindsay) impersonating said father. 

It’s not as confusing as it sounds and it all descends into delightful chaos, the kind of gentle farce you only get in classic films. It’s genuinely really funny, packed with so many one-liners and comedy moments, I didn’t expect to laugh so much. 

Costume designer Jon Morrell gives Tracy a wardrobe I was drooling over, with some beautifully cut glamours dresses that move magnificently across the stage. Musical number Let’s Misbehave is all sashaying pastel dresses and looks wonderful. Other musical highlights include Fox and Ovenden’s synchronicity in Well Did You Evah and Now You Has Jazz with a full band on stage.

The set is impressive with a working dual staircase signifying the grandeur of the Lord family manor, and everything from sun loungers and stone garden features to a huge tree gliding smoothly on and off stage.

At times it feels like we don’t get to know the characters as much as we might have liked, but visually and musically this is a real treat and a joy to watch. As you can hear in the video I have linked here, the audience absolutely loved seeing this classic brought to the stage and the atmosphere was lovely.

On the way out, I heard someone say they had the film soundtrack on vinyl and how special the musical was to them. For me, that’s what it’s all about – getting lost in a timeless story and knowing great music can still charm 70 years on.

High Society is at The New Theatre, Cardiff from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 July. Tickets, from £36.50 are still available. The performance is two hours and 25 minutes including interval. Book online here.

Also coming up at The New Theatre, Cardiff  

Rude Science Monday 27 July

Dinosaurs Live Sunday 2 August

Peppa Pig’s Family Show 5-6 August

Operation Mincemeat 15-19 September

Cardiff Scout and Guide Gangshow: Beyond The Toy Box 4-7 November

Beauty and The Beast 5 December-3 January