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Triumphantly returning after more than thirty years, The High Life – The Musical takes off with vigorous intent and, for the most part, reaches a rare comic altitude.
Dusting off their polyester uniforms after three long decades, the cabin crew burst onto the stage in an emphatic airborne revival that is, at its best, a triumph.
The jewels in the crown of this production are original crew Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, both soaring skywards in outstanding form. Their chemistry remains pitch-perfect, and Masson’s musical contributions are a delight, woven seamlessly into the narrative with wit and purpose. Paired with fellow original cast members, Siobhan Redmond (below) and Patrick Ryecart, this revival is blessed with a stellar lineup of originals who really can still do it!
The supporting cast match them step for step. Kyle Gardner hilariously evolves over the course of the evening and Rachael Kendall Brown injects a brilliant modern dynamic as a chronically online and sickly-sweet Kylie. It is a polished ensemble, with no weak links.
Johnny McKnight welds his original material to the instantly recognisable sketches that made The High Life so far ahead of its time. The script is deeply reverent to the 1990s series, yet never confined by it. McKnight brings the gallus humour bang up to date in his inimitable style: deliciously theatrical, outrageously topical and packed with political bite.
The first act has all the energy, hilarity and fourth-wall-breaking mischief of the pantomimes for which McKnight is so well known. In this ridiculously strong opening stretch, every beat feels considered and every gag earned. Unlike the disappointing arena revivals of Still Game, this is how to do it. It is innovative, tightly structured and, most of all, devilishly funny.
Firmly rooted in its native Scotland, not simply as a setting but as a driving force, this love letter to Scotia revels in its references. It leans into stereotype with a sharp political wit, unafraid to interrogate the shortbread-tin image sold to the wider world. Nothing is off the table, from the rise of the far right to the independence movement. Sebastian, of course, can do it all by himself.
Andrew Panton’s direction lands the comedy with slick precision, complemented by Colin Richmond’s aero-inspired set.
When the curtain rises after the eye-watering interval, however, the production struggles to sustain that initial brilliance. Drifting dangerously off course, with autopilot nowhere to be seen, it pushes harder rather than smarter in an attempt to build on the momentum of Act I.
The result is more bizarre than satisfying, with a loosening in structure and tone that undercuts what came before. There are still laughs, and moments of strong physical comedy, particularly from Louise McCarthy, but they feel less assured as the clarity of the storytelling begins to falter.
What is impossible to deny is the ambition of this revival.
Nostalgic yet fresh, and at its best genuinely inspired, The High Life – The Musical does not quite reach Mach 2, but it offers a joyful escape that keeps the audience happily on board.
The High Life – The Musical at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh until 11th April 2026 – then touring
Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
