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High Society review: Helen George and Felicity Kendal throw the party of the season

When it comes to Cole Porter, the Barbican does it best!

Ensemble cast on stage of grand house hallway

Pamela Raith

Published: Thursday, 4 June 2026 at 2:21 pm

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Musical theatre history is packed full of iconic partnerships: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lloyd-Webber and Rice, Kander and Ebb, to name a few. But since the start of the decade, there's been a new partnership taking centre stage: Cole Porter and the Barbican Theatre.

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2021 marked the Barbican's revival of Anything Goes, the iconic 1934 musical, starring musical theatre royalty Sutton Foster. Three years later in 2024, the Barbican tackled Porter again, this time his joyful 1948 musical Kiss Me Kate starring TV star Adrien Dunbar and Broadway legend Stephanie J Block, which received a five-star review from the Radio Times team.

Now the Barbican is once again bringing us a Cole Porter revival packed full of stars – and we couldn't be happier.

This time, it's the turn of High Society, an adaptation of the play The Philadelphia Story, which was made into a film featuring Cole Porter's music, starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. The musical itself first premiered on Broadway in 1998 with a book by Arthur Kopit.

The show follows icy socialite Tracy Lord as she prepares to marry dull accountant George when her charismatic ex-husband Dexter sails into town. Add to the mix two undercover reporters and you've got two and a half hours of gloriously frivolous fun, with a toe-tapping score to boot.

It's a classic musical caper, packed full of screwball comedy, waspish wit, mistaken identities, lavish dance numbers and a sweeping Golden Age score. However, an extra layer of depth is present in the underlying wistfulness of the story, tackling themes such as alcoholism and self-reckoning in a more sincere manner than most other light-hearted romps.

Truthfully, the second act feels cluttered and the retroactively-fitted songs don't quite advance the plot, but the show as a whole is so delightful that any gripes with the finer plot details will easily melt away.

Man and woman embracing on the floor beside boat model

Helen George and Julian Ovenden in High Society. Pamela Raith

This nuance is expertly captured by the stellar cast, with the hilarious Felicity Kendal, lovably lewd Nigel Lindsay and charming Freddie Fox standing out in particular. Watching Freddie Fox on stage as Mike, it's hard to believe that this is his musical theatre debut.

Call the Midwife star Helen George must also be commended for her performance as Tracy, equal measures guarded and longing. While not quite reaching the heights of Sutton Foster or Stephanie J Block (but then again, who could?) in previous Barbican productions, she imbues Tracy with grit, depth and laugh-out-loud humour, with her clear alto belt a fantastic match for Cole Porter's score.

In addition to the compelling performances, Tom Rogers's luscious set design completely immerses us in the Lord's grand waterfront home, from the Grand Foyer to the cleverly lit swimming pool. Rogers has also managed to achieve the impressive set reveal that the Barbican's Cole Porter productions have become known for – no spoilers from us, you'll have to see it to believe it.

Add to this Jon Morrell's scrumptious costumes, pitch-perfect physical comedy and some truly brilliant sight gags, and you have an stage that's impossible to look away from.

Choreographer Anthony Van Laast, who also worked on the Barbican's production of Kiss Me, Kate, must also be given his flowers. Anyone who witnessed his spectacular imagining of Too Darn Hot back in 2024 is sure to be wondering how he could possibly reach those heights again – trust us, he certainly does in the spectacular Now You Have Jazz, buoyed by a showstopping performance from Nigel Lindsay.

After smiling through this dazzling production, we can confirm that the Barbican has scored a hattrick in terms of Cole Porter revivals. This fun, fizzy, frivolous romp is the exact type of levity and escapism we need to see more of on the London stage. Here's to revival number four – we're hoping for Can-Can or Silk Stockings!

For more of our thoughts on the latest London theatre, check out our War Horse review and Beetlejuice the Musical review.

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When and where can I see High Society?

High Society is currently showing at the Barbican Theatre and will run until Saturday 11 June.

How to get High Society tickets

You can purchase High Society tickets at TodayTix and London Theatre Direct. Both these platforms are currently running sales, meaning that you can snag a ticket from as little as £30!

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