Alan Cumming arrives at the 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards 2025 held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on January 3, 2025 in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California, United States. (Photo by Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency)
Casting has been confirmed for the upcoming stage musical adaptation of cult 1990s television comedy The High Life, ahead of its nationwide tour in 2026.
Based on the BBC sitcom created by Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, the new musical reunites the original screen cast, with Cumming, Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart all set to reprise their iconic roles. First broadcast in 1995 following a pilot the year before, The High Life followed the chaotic lives of Air Scotia flight attendants Steve, Sebastian and Shona, alongside their long suffering captain Hilary Duff.
The stage version revisits the characters several decades later, finding them navigating fresh personal and professional challenges in a very different world.
Joining the original cast for the tour are Louise McCarthy as Heather Argyll, Kyle Gardiner as Mylie and Rachael Kendall Brown as Kylie. The ensemble cast includes Ross Baxter, Lauren Ellis Steele, Ciara Flynn and Grant McIntyre.
The High Life is co produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre, in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres. The production marks the first title announced as part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s 20th anniversary programme.
The musical features a script and lyrics by Cumming, Masson and Johnny McKnight, with music composed by Masson and additional contributions from Cumming. Direction is by Andrew Panton, with set and costume design by Colin Richmond, choreography by Emily Jane Boyle, musical supervision by Sarah Travis, and lighting design by Grant Anderson.
Previews will begin at Dundee Rep Theatre on 28 March 2026, before the tour continues to His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen, Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, Eden Court Theatre, and King’s Theatre in Glasgow. The tour will conclude on 16 May.
With its original cast returning and a strong creative team in place, The High Life musical is shaping up to be a major theatrical event for fans of the beloved Scottish sitcom and musical theatre audiences alike.
Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com
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