After hearing the BROS Theatre Company rehearsing for this show just down the road from where I live, I was intrigued to see how this production of ‘High Society’ was going to be brought to life. I can assure you, it didn’t disappoint!
High Society invites you to a party on stage, where we discover the love between people is always on going: whether you’re divorced or not. The upper class family of the Lords attracts the attention of two local Newspaper Reporters who arrive at the pre-wedding party with good intentions. As the evening pans out we learn aspects of people we didn’t first realise and as always with a classic musical, the show ended with everyone falling in love and caring about the people who actually mattered to them.
A delightful evening of partying from on stage, fuelled the audience’s love and emotion towards the story. The musical, based on the 1956 film of the same name, with music by Cole Porter, had us at times laughing and almost on the brink of tears. The incredible Heather Stockwell played the strong woman lead of Tracy Lord and her performance and exploration of the character was truly West End standard! The character of C.K. Dexter Haven, played by Nick Moorhead was an inspirational insight to how one’s love can still thrive even if you are no longer together. The rest of Lord family, all played by wonderful actors, showed their many months of rehearsing definitely paid off. Special mention must to go Alice Bonney, who played Dinah. Her ballet combination was amazing to watch and the funny side of her character shone through. The Reporters played by Jacob Botha and Bex Wood were intriguing characters and I loved to watch how their story changed throughout the whole musical.
As well as the leads, there was a whole host of many other roles on stage during the evening. The collection of singing servants gave us humorous insights to their lives (at the start of Act 2). The featured dancers were very talented and their Choreographer Jen Moorhead put together some dances that really helped the audience's understanding of the story. I must not forget to mention the incredible musicians who dedicated their evening to play in the pit. Under the watchful baton of Janet Simpson, their playing skills were impressive and supported the many catchy songs sung on stage.
All the technical aspects went together well and the set and lighting design beautifully complemented the costumes on stage. I spoke to a few of the audience members after the show: “Wow! What a triumphant return of the BROS Theatre Company!”, “All that time and effort putting the show on shone through, in every single aspect of the evening!”. “I’m going to book another ticket!”.
High Society runs at the Richmond Theatre until the 3rd November and you should not miss this show - book your tickets now !
