Gut Reactions (post-gig memories and other trips): The High Life - The Musical, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Friday 15th May, 2026.

What a stoater of a show!

It could so easily have gone wrong, resurrecting a single-series sitcom as a stage musical after thirty-plus years. But with the main cast back and a cracking script, they pulled it off (dearie me, I've already descended into innuendo).

I'd not had a good day. I'd frittered away my morning on indecision, broken a soup bowl at lunchtime and ended up having to bathe the dog after the afternoon walk (if she's not eating it, she's rolling in it, and sometimes both).

We left early to avoid potential motorway traffic, but the M8 roadworks were gone. As such, we arrived in town so early that we had time for a drink in Hengler's Circus. A glass of white for the lady and a can of 'ginger' for me (that's what we called Irn-Bru, and other fizzy drinks, back in the day). The pub was full of rockers downing cheap pints before heading to The Garage for AC/DC UK & Dizzy Lizzy.

At the King's, I was slightly disappointed that the staff didn't direct us to our seats dressed as Air Scotia flight attendants. That would have been cool, though prohibitively expensive. The sound of aircraft zooming overhead replaced any pre-show music. Amber spotlights spun propeller shapes across the auditorium walls. We spotted screens on the Grand Circle balcony displaying the orchestra conductor. There was a real buzz of anticipation amongst the audience.

I bought a programme (only £6). The cover was cleverly designed to resemble an in-flight magazine. I didn't bother with the other merch. I can't picture myself ever wearing an Air Scotia T-shirt with "oh dearie me!" on the back.

An announcement reminded us that no nuts were allowed in the auditorium because of a cast member's extreme allergy. Then we spotted TV presenters and interior designers Colin and Justin sneaking in just before the lights dimmed. Those two facts are unrelated.

The show itself was sooooo gooood. The choreography is fantastic, the songs funny (I spotted allusions to Les Mis and Hamilton) and the script is packed with so many Scottish references that sassenachs would need a wikipage to understand them all (there's name checks for Lorraine Kelly, Nicola Sturgeon, Sheena Easton, Sidney Devine and Lena Zavaroni, amongst many others, as well as more subtle ones such as naming two characters Logan and Milroy). The cast, especially the four leads, were brilliant. This wasn't ham, this was Marks and Spencer's Best Ever Mature Ham, sliced with satire and lightly spiced with in-joke references (even a Traitors joke). I had tears in my eyes from laughing. It was funny to hear the laughs roll across the audience as people caught some jokes at slightly different times.

Louise McCarthy was hilarious as Heather, but I'd especially like to commend Kyle Gardiner for his role as Mylie. As a comic performance, it was up there with Kenneth Williams in expression. I could see him playing the Doctor one day (assuming he has the chops for drama, too).

We had two empty seats beside us in the stalls. Two ladies pinched them during the interval, alerted by their friends in the row behind. They were good value. "Auchterarder doesn't have many Ubers", one witheringly said to the other.

This show is definitely a five-star experience. The standing ovation at the end was well deserved. Whatever blues I'd been feeling beforehand were definitely blown away. You could say I'm living the High Life.

Ticket Price: 2x £59.50 & Transaction fee £3.95 = £122.95 from ATG Tickets