Author: Brett Herriot

Since completing training, Brett has enjoyed a varied career across the arts as an actor, writer, performer, producer, company manager, stage manager and arts critic. Brett embraces the arts with a passion in all its forms. Away from the world of theatre, Brett is a vegetarian, loves an occasional glass of wine, chatting with friends and travelling when time permits
Arts News!

The High Life – The Musical Takes Flight in 2026!

Brett Herriot

“Get that adrenaline flowing!”

After a 30-year delay in the departure lounge, The High Life returns in a new musical spectacular featuring all four original cast members – Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart aka Sebastian Flight, Steve McCracken, Shona Spurtle and Captain Hilary Duff. 

The production will tour Scotland in Spring 2026, with previews and opening performance at Dundee Rep Theatre from 28 March, then onward touring to HMT Aberdeen, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Eden Court Theatre and King’s Theatre Glasgow until 16 May 2026. 

The High Life is a creative collaboration between trailblazing, multi-award-winning artist Alan Cumming (US Traitors, X2 and Avengers: Doomsday and Cabaret on Broadway) and his long-time writing and performing partner, prolific stage and screen actor and writer Forbes Masson (Only Child, The Crown, Eastenders). The creative team is joined by celebrated writer, performer and panto-maker Johnny McKnight (Wendy Hoose, Radiant Vermin, River City) and the award-winning and internationally acclaimed Artistic Director of Dundee Rep, Andrew Panton (August: Osage County, No Love Songs, A History of Paper). 

Oh deary me! Air Scotia has been sold, and unless our intrepid cabin crew can prove they’re still fit for purpose it looks like the future destination for Air Scotia is the scrap heap. In this flight for their lives, our cut-price cabin crew must get themselves (and their passengers) to their destination safely, testing their mettle and putting decades old friendships and rivalries finally to rest. 

The High Life was first commissioned and broadcast by the BBC in 1995 running for just six (plus the pilot broadcast in 1994) episodes, created by and featuring Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson. It was a launch pad to its creators’ long and illustrious careers. Since airing in the 90s it has attracted cult status for its sharp wit, farcical storytelling and joyous buffoonery. Taking place in the fictional Air Scotia airline, it centres around air stewards Steve, Sebastian and Shona – the most useless cabin crew ever to push a drinks trolley while asking ‘U Fur Coffee?”.   

This revival sees our iconic characters finding themselves growing older in an ever-changing world. It will feature new and original music, is stuffed full of camp silliness and is cleared for take-off. 

Siobhan Redmond reprises her TV role as the iconic Shona Spurtle on stage. Siobhan has worked extensively in theatre, film and television and is known most recently for appearances in Two Doors Down, Death in Paradise and Rain Dogs. She is joined on board by Patrick Ryecart as the absent-minded Captain Hilary Duff. Patrick’s screen credits include The Crown, Poldark and The King’s Speech.  

Cumming and Masson met at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1982 and  formed the beloved comedy double act Victor and Barry. This momentous showbiz event was recently chronicled in the book Victor and Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium – A Meander Down Memory Close, a 40th anniversary celebration of their birth.  

The pair later transmogrified Victor and Barry into Steve and Sebastian when they wrote the BBC sitcom, The High Life. 

Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson said  

“Never say never! We are both beyond excited to be donning those nylon slacks and crimpelene blazers and connecting with our inner trolly dollies after all these years. Returning to these characters alongside the genius that is Johnny McKnight has been a joyful experience and we can’t wait to share what madness we’ve come up with around Scotland!”

Johnny McKnight said:

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the Air Scotia cabin crew. I grew up watching The High Life, wishing that one day I could get to fly thirty thousand feet with Alan, Forbes, Siobhan and Patrick. I never believed that a reunion show would happen, let alone that I would get to be part of the team working on it. The bags are packed, the tena-man pants on, and I am ready for check in. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the flight of a lifetime.”

Andrew Panton said:

“Having been a High Life fan right from take-off in 1994, it’s been a total joy to work with this amazing team of pure talent. Our development time together has been a riot of creative energy, hilarity and brilliant music and songs and I feel sure our new stage musical will appeal to both fans of the TV show and folks new to The High Life! I’m thrilled that we’re creating the show at Dundee Rep Theatre before it jets off to entertain audiences across Scotland.

A much cherished icon of tv comedy finally returns so grab your slacks and ties and board Air Scotia for what promises to be a musical romp! This indeed will be a boeing flying up to the High Life!

National Theatre of Scotland Presents The High Life – The Musical Touring Scotland from 28th March 2026. The Production visits Dundee Rep Theatre, His Majesty’s Aberdeen, Festival Theatre Edinburgh and The King’s Theatre Glasgow.

The High Life is available on BBC Iplayer!

Mary Woodward Review

Compagnie Barbarie and Bronks: Grown Ups, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Review

Brett Herriot

**** (4 stars)

“An impressive range of talents”

Do children wonder what adults get up to while they are at school, at play, or once they have been safely tucked up in bed?  Are they as in control as they would like to seem?  Is it all a huge pretence?  

An empty stage.  Curtains each side, and at the back.  A long orange cable snakes across the floor.

A roll of tape rolls into sight.  Someone walks across the stage, whistling.  The cable is slowly pulled into the wings. Someone wrestles with an inflated canvas shape which is trying to make a bid for freedom.  It loses.

More random appearances, of people, things, rolls of tape, oranges…  Something starts dripping on to the stage – gently at first, but more insistently.  It is established that it isn’t pee, but no-one seems to have responsibility for this, or know what to do.  One actor on the phone insists that everything is completely under control.  Some ever more complex attempts are made at dealing with the problem, but they merely escalate the situation, which becomes increasingly tangled and bizarre.  

Oranges are chopped up, lights blow, smoke billows into the audience, an actor wearing a giant head of Chekov joins the action.  At one point the actors slowly realise that there is an audience of children watching them – and freeze.  One of them suggests that they should give their audience ‘some theatre’ – that’s what they’ve come for.  In defiance of the remark No theatre: we are grown ups and we are very busy, she keeps trying to ‘be theatrical’ with eccentric dance and movement and an increasingly absurd amount of fruit.

Compagnie Barbarie and Bronks present a show aimed ‘at age 4-12 years’ which certainly got the audience engaged and screaming – at some points I wondered if they would ever shut up and listen for long enough to find out what would happen next… 

The comments from the children began quite sensibly – don’t let the water and the electricity meet, for example – but began to get out of hand as an ever-increasing bellow of “smash the glass” threatened to derail the whole show.  I wonder what the performers made of this, and whether their audiences were usually better-behaved…  I also wonder what a four-year-old would have made of it – certainly something very different from a twelve-year-old!

There was a gradual slowing of pace towards the end of the show, some very eccentric dancing by three ‘Chekovs’ and a final slow fade on a single cast member isolated in the midst of a mountain of chaos.

Amber Goethals, Lotte Vaes, Sarah Vangeel and Liesje De Backer displayed an impressive range of talents while coping with an increasingly vociferous audience.  On the way out, one adult referenced Lord of the Flies, an apt reference to the uncontrollable way violence can erupt from seemingly very little. I certainly felt battered by the volume and intensity of the shouting coming from the kids around me: and wondered quite how much of the show they were actually taking in.  I also wonder how their accompanying adults calmed them down and got them back to school in one piece!

Let’s see what else Imaginate has to offer in the next few days…

Compagnie Barbarie and Bronks: Grown Ups, As Part of Imaginate Children’s Festival Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Review- Runs until 28th May for more information go to: https://www.imaginate.org.uk/festival/whats-on/grown-ups

Brett Herriot Review

Sister Act, Portobello Town Hall, Review:

Brett Herriot

***** 5 Stars

“Truly Divine!”

Its breathtaking to think that thirty-three years have passed since 1992’s smash hit musical movie “Sister Act” starring the legendary Whoopi Goldberg was released. Telling the story of a Las Vegas show girl, Deloris Van Cartier, when working a casino in Reno she is witness to a shocking crime. She needs to hide while awaiting to give evidence at the trial and divine intervention steps in as she goes to ground in a catholic convent. Challenged by the mother superior to anything that will make the choir sound better she discovers a new passion for music and is touched by sisterhood making her discover her true place in the world.

Following a sequel movie in 1993, it would be 13 years later in 2006 that the original movie was adapted for the stage in a musical with music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner. The musical transposes the action to 1978 and the score is a disco infused eruption of joy that puts comedy along with a major dose of pathos at its heart.

The show has enjoyed global success with productions in both the west end and on Broadway. It’s now beloved with local companies and Portobello based Stage Door Entertainment take on the show in their resident venue of the Town Hall and they deliver a production which is Truly Divine!

Directed by Lisa Goldie with musical direction from Tommie Travers and Choreography by Aidan O’Brien the production team have performances at the centre of a show rich in comedy, stunning vocals and heart touch pathos.

Performances across the board are excellent with the simply stunning performance from Tinofara Fombe in the role of “Deloris Van Cartier” which is more remarkable as this performance is her debut in Musical Theatre. She truly captures the essence of Deloris perfectly and has the vocal power to stun those walking by the town hall let alone the audience in the auditorium. Deborah Beveridge channels her best Dame Maggie Smith in the role of “Mother Superior” Beveridge delivers a” Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” take but her comedy timing is peerless and that matches her faultless vocals. Special mention also must go to Orla McDonald Russell in comedic tour de force as Sister Mary Lazarus. While the female roles are the centre of the show, with company fielding a near fifty strong ensemble, there are wonderful performances from the men too. Peter Tomassi gives the right edge of villainy as Curtis and he is supported in wonderful style by Stephen Donaldson, Marc Robertson and Fionn Cameron as Joey, Tj and Pablo respectively. Rounding out a stellar principal cast is Kevin McConnachie as “Eddie” who takes the audience on a journey of self discovery in wonderful style.

Production wise Stage Door have delivered well within the confines of the town hall, Travers, O’Brien and Chris Cowies set design is perfectly judged and Heather McLuskey’s lighting design adds real theatrical magic. At this press performance there was a slight technical delay due to sound issues but Simon Ferguson on sound delivered a faultless show and the audience would never have known the difficulties faced. Lesley O’Brien’s costume design is bang on the money and the cherry on the sister act cake is the stunning 11 strong pit orchestra under the baton of Travers who clearly revel in the show as much as the cast.

Stage Door entertainment have proven there here to stay in the town hall and each production keeps getting better and better. With several more productions planned for the rest of the year the audiences will keep returning. So why not grab a ticket and be blessed with theatrical treat of divine proportions. 

Stage Door Entertainment Presents Sister Act the Musical, Portobello Town Hall runs until Saturday 17th May 2025, for Info and tickets go to: https://www.stagedoorentertainment.co.uk/sister-act-tickets

Brett Herriot Review

Keli, National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Review:

Brett Herriot

**** (4 Stars)

“Intensely Gripping”

Originally commissioned as an audio play by the Royal Lyceum Theatre and now developed in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland and the National Theatre as part of London’s Generate programme. Keli returns to the Lyceum taking up residence on their main stage ahead of a Scottish Tour.

Written and composed by Martin Green and directed by Bryony Shanahan KELI, a taught and emotionally engaging performance from Liberty Black, tells the story of a fiery, sharp witted seventeen year-old in a former mining town in central Scotland. The pits are long gone have little meaning to Keli, but the mines left music in the blood of both the town and its residence. As the best player her brass band has ever had, music is easy. Everything else is a fight. Feeling trapped in small-town life, the pressure mounts in an intensely gripping play that at its heart is an exploration of community, creativity, music and the desire to identify in generation long detached from the struggles of the miner’s strikes and it’s still lingering effects.

Green’s writing while intense does rely on a non ending stream of strong language and while it does convey Keli’s story it eventually gets tiring in a play that clashes “Trainspotting” with “Brassed off” to a highly stimulating effect. While the show does feature both the Whitburn and Kingdom Brass Bands its Green’s compositions that set this show apart. It’s blend of traditional brass band instruments with a modern soundscape really brings the show alive in both intensity and passion and is a beguiling element that makes the show soar.

Performances from the eight strong cast are excellent with Liberty Black leading the company with an high accomplished performance as “Keli”. Karen Fishwick puts in a stellar performance as “Jane/Lady S/Euphonium” a talented musician in her own right with acting ability of true depth.  Olivia Hemmati makes her professional début with a comedic tour de force as “Amy/Saskia”. Phil McKee turns in a finally crafted dramatic performance as “Brian” whose strength and sensibility is a calming factor to the intensity of Keli. Critically acclaimed Scottish actor Billy Mack returns to the show in the role of “William” an ethereal figure from the past but thanks to Mack’s accomplished performance delivers a character of real depth.

Production wise Keli delivers a dystopian world thanks to the Set and Costume design from Alisa Kalyanova whose brilliant design captures the long gone coal seams, to the band rehearsal room and even the Royal Albert Hall with ease. This is enhanced by Robbie Butler’s deeply thoughtful lighting design which is complimented in excellent style by George Dennis’s Sound Design.

Keli is brave as it is capturing and delivers on the National Theatre of Scotland mission to explore untapped theatre makers that represent the best of Scotland and its stories. As Keli heads out on tour it truly delivers a refreshingly adult story that puts music and its power at its heart. Beguiling stuff indeed.

National Theatre of Scotland Presents Keli, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Runs until Saturday 17th May. For more information and tickets go to: https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/keli#dates-and-times

 The Production will tour to Dundee Rep, Perth Theatre and Glasgow Tramway.

Brett Herriot Review

SLO Jesus Christ Superstar, Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Review:

Brett Herriot

**** (4 Stars)

“A brave production with a passionate heart!”

Fifty five years since its initial concept album was released, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar has become an enduring classic of the musical theatre cannon. Telling the story of the final days in the life of Jesus Christ with an anthemic rock score the show has been reinvented many times from the most intimate theatres to full arena productions.

Edinburgh based Southern Light bring the show to the Festival theatre stage for the first time in its 128 year history in a production that is markedly different from anything they have done before. Directed by Fraser Grant with musical direction from Fraser Hume and choreography by Louise Williamson this is a production that borrows heavily from acclaimed west end director Jamie Lloyd.

Lloyd is achieving great success on both sides of the Atlantic with productions of Sunset Boulevard and Romeo and Juliet thanks to his inventive use of live cameras and projections on stripped back sets. Fraser Grant deploys the same style to great effect in a production of the show that brings the show into the modern world. For the most part it works and is aided by the contemporary costume design from Sandra Summers. Choreography by Louise Williamson also embraces the contemporary and isn’t scared to push the boundaries with a heavy infusion of sexuality and same sex couples it’s a joy to watch the well drilled dance troupe in the show give it their all.  

This production truly puts the light onto the performances and there are many west end worthy turns from across the company.  Colin Sutherland as “Jesus” brings a raw intensity to the role and captures from the off and equally delivers strong vocals that emote the feelings of the character with ease. Ethan Baird delivers a more understated turn as “Judas” with the traditional tenor falsetto belt being replaced with an edgy rock lilt in his voice however a lot of the lyrics are lost due to poor diction and annunciation.  The true stand out star of the show is the divine Lara Kidd in the role of “Mary” with powerhouse vocals and a finally crafted characterisation that draws you to her in every second she is on stage, she is indeed a fine west end performer of great skill. Special mention has to go to Darren Johnson as “Pilate” who delivers the most intense and capturing performance of a conflicted soul. This is an impressively big ensemble cast numbering over ninety although for the majority there pushed to the sidelines of the stage almost like additional audience members and they do feel slightly under used at times.

Production wise the show truly succeeds the set design from Fraser Grant and James Gow takes the modern feel up a notch making the large expanses of the Festival Theatre feel like a rock arena and this is bolstered by Gow’s beguiling lighting design  that is a triumph of detail and colour and brings its own emotions to the stage. The live video element also adds to the aesthetic but it does feel like more could have been achieved with it. Paul Smith’s sound design is excellent with a perfect balance between musical director Fraser Hume’s stellar 12 piece band and performers, given its a rock open that’s a tricky balance to achieve but Smith has achieved it with ease.

Southern Light has delivered a brave production with a passionate heart that embraces its ambition to be somewhat of a departure for the company. With a cracking pace and clear story telling it’s a show that captures. However it does feel like more could have been achieved from the individual elements but what you do have is a cracking night of theatre from a musical which has become a modern classic! Wonderful stuff indeed.

Southern Light Presents Jesus Christ Superstar, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, runs until Saturday 10th May, For more information and tickets go to: Southern Light: Jesus Christ Superstar