Julian Ovenden is flying high in 'High Society'

The most swellegant, elegant party in London is High Society. Star Julian Ovenden talks about the show’s evolution, the joy of musical comedy, and the enduring genius of Cole Porter.

Summary

• Julian Ovenden is starring in the Barbican summer musical High Society
• His co-stars include Helen George and Felicity Kendal
• The Cole Porter classic includes songs such as "Well Did You Evah!"

Well, did you evah! High Society is swanning into town, complete with a new staging by Rachel Kavanaugh, sumptuous design, and of course a delectable cast. Call the Midwife’s Helen George stars as ice-queen socialite Tracy Lord, whose upcoming wedding – presided over by her mother (Felicity Kendal) – is derailed by an inquisitive reporter (Freddie Fox) and the return of her suave first husband, Dexter Haven.

This latter role is inhabited by the acclaimed stage and screen actor Julian Ovenden, who recently led another classic musical, South Pacific. He knew High Society from the 1956 movie, but hadn’t seen the stage version before, he explains. “It was really nice discovering it. I learnt more about its remarkable journey, from being a play originally [1939’s The Philadelphia Story], then turned into a film, then a musical film, then coming back to the stage.” That continuing evolution gave this new company freedom to reimagine it once again, says Ovenden. “The book is stronger than ever, and, as performers, our input was really encouraged. Musicals are such a collaborative venture, and there’s a great wealth of experience within this cast and creative team.”

Ovenden found it fascinating to get under the skin of his sophisticated character Dexter Haven. “Here’s a man who has grown up with a lot of money and status, but whose heart is now in a simpler, humbler place. He’s trying to persuade Tracy, the love of his life, who had the same upbringing and is still invested in the trappings of privilege, to reunite with him. He wants to rescue her from a shallow existence. There are definitely parallels with modern life: the pressure to be so concerned with appearance and fame, rather than embrace what’s important.”

Dexter, explains Ovenden, has become an outsider in his former social sphere. “He’s given up drinking, which is a process that changes your perspective and your behaviour. For all his funny lines, he’s very smart and thoughtful.” There is perhaps a temptation, notes Ovenden, to dismiss a story about moneyed types. “But if it’s well written, like [TV drama] Succession, you get drawn in because they’re human beings. It doesn’t matter if someone has a million pounds – you can still find ways to connect and sympathise with them. High Society absolutely does that, but with a wonderful lightness of touch.”

It’s something that the Golden Age classics handle particularly well, observes Ovenden. “I believe with musicals, people want to feel something. Obviously it helps when you have beautiful music – and we have fantastic songs. But I think the alchemy of those shows from the 1940s and 1950s is giving you spectacle, humour, dancing, great entertainment, and, beneath that, pathos. You want to root for these characters. That’s when a musical transports you.”

It’s useful playing exes, like Dexter and Tracy, since “it instantly gives you a whole backstory and history,” says Ovenden. “Me and Helen are trying to do as much excavation as possible.” There’s also an unlikely budding friendship between Dexter and sceptical journalist Mike. “They don’t think they have anything in common, and then they begin to realise they have the same attitude. They get that incredible song, 'Well, Did You Evah!', where they’re taking the piss out of the world.”

Ovenden says that High Society’s relatively straightforward plot – which contains plenty of hijinks but is easy to follow – means “we can try to make it as funny as possible, and I think our version is the wittiest yet. It’s terrific fun to play. I’ve always loved screwball comedies, and it’s got that farce-like energy and speed. It’s also surprisingly shocking, what some of these high society types get up to.”

Ovenden is an established devotee of Cole Porter – his second solo album, 2016’s Be My Love, featured several songs – so he’s thrilled, too, that this new production is adding more beloved Porter hits. The new additions are "You Do Something to Me", "I’ve Got You Under My Skin", "Be a Clown", "You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To", "All of You", "Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love", and, from the High Society movie, "Now You Has Jazz". Ovenden says: “Porter’s character shines through in everything he wrote. He was perhaps not the happiest of individuals, but he put a brave face on it – heartache with a smile.”

Ovenden brings a similar empathetic depth to all of his roles, whether screen projects like Downton Abbey, The Crown, and Bridgerton, or stage productions ranging from Merrily We Roll Along to My Night With Reg. South Pacific, which he did in 2021 at Chichester Festival Theatre and then on tour, including a London stop at Sadler’s Wells, was “a particularly special job, coming out of Covid, and it dealt with the racial aspect very well. I can’t imagine a better production of that show.”

He’s now enjoying being part of the “true spectacular” that is High Society. “We’ve gone for the big band sound: it’s going to have serious welly. We’ve also got more choreography – it’s really ambitious in that respect. [Porter musicals] Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate have very famous big dance numbers in them; this, traditionally, does not. That’s one of the things Rachel and [choreographer] Anthony [Van Laast] wanted to change, so we’ve got several full-scale dance numbers.”

High Society is always a welcome treat, but Ovenden thinks its arrival now will be especially appreciated. “It couldn’t happen at a better time, when the world is so dark, to have a show full of light and joy and heart. I hope people come out of the theatre feeling satisfied, like they’ve had a really good meal. Doing a musical is like nothing else: the energy you get from the audience is infectious. I love doing a job that makes people happy.”

Book High Society tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

This article first appeared in the June 2026 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Julian Ovenden. Inset: in rehearsals for High Society with Freddie Fox, in South Pacific. (Photos by Pamela Raith, Johan Persson)