Thirty years after Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson last portrayed Air Scotia’s endearingly inept cabin crew in the cult TV sitcom The High Life, the comedic duo are reuniting for a stage revival.
The BBC series, which ran for a single season, saw the pair, drama school alumni, embark on separate successful careers. However, a collaborative book project detailing their early stage partnership as Victor and Barry ignited the idea of a High Life resurgence.
“We’d discussed it, but our individual pursuits took precedence,” explains Forbes, now an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company. “The book’s joyful creation sparked the desire to revisit this.”
Cumming and Masson initially met in 1982, forming the comedic double act Victor and Barry, a staple of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. After concluding their run with a final performance at the London Palladium a decade later, the characters were reimagined as Steve and Sebastian.
For the past year, they’ve collaborated with the National Theatre of Scotland to revive the characters, alongside the long-suffering stewardess Shona Spurtle and the eccentric Captain Hilary Duff. Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart will reprise their original roles.
Andrew Panton, the show’s director and current head of Dundee Rep (where the production premieres), was a dancer in the original opening sequence. Jonny McKnight, a co-writer who grew up with the series, notes, “I never envisioned a reunion, let alone participation.”
Months of Glasgow-based workshops culminated in a full rehearsal run. Alan Cumming, who recently assumed the artistic directorship of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, describes the process as “bonkers.”
Balancing his Scottish and American lives (where he hosts the US version of The Traitors), Cumming adds, “Imagining their antics for years, seeing it realized with such gusto is surreal. Our continued existence alone warrants celebration.”
The musical picks up where the series concluded, with Sebastian Flight and Steve McCracken still navigating Air Scotia’s dwindling flights, facing potential redundancy due to a recent acquisition.
“It might be the end,” says Cumming, who plays Sebastian. “Our last flight, with supernatural ginger occurrences looming.”
Forbes explains the show’s essence: “The High Life stemmed from Scottish surreal comedy, a tradition we’ve recreated in the musical. However, it’s also grounded in the reality of two long-term colleagues, now in their 60s, questioning their trajectory.” This revival, for two accomplished actors, is driven by passion, not necessity.
The anticipation for this reunion is palpable, mirroring their youthful enthusiasm as Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama graduates. “It’s a reprise of our post-drama school days, just in larger venues,” Cumming shares, adding, “The joy of touring, the camaraderie, exploring new cities – it’s unparalleled.”
The High Life is presented by National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres. The world premiere is at Dundee Rep on 28 March 2026, touring to HMT Aberdeen, Edinburgh Festival Theatre and Kings Theatre Glasgow.