Review: HIGH PERFORMANCE LIVE - Norwich Theatre Royal - Tour
The notion of bringing a podcast to the stage is a fairly new concept. There was definitely a sense of intrigue as to how Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes were going to deliver this, with an audience full of knowledge thirsty individuals, looking for ways to enhance their high performance on the opening night of the national tour of High Performance Live.
The show starts with pre-recorded video footage of Jake and Damian, allowing them to tell their stories of who they are and their backgrounds, which actually for anyone unfamiliar with the podcast is a great introduction to these two individuals.
This is followed by an incredibly high energy opening and impressive light sequence, which leads directly into Jake and Damian talking to the audience on a much more personal level. Perhaps a less explosive start to the show would have prepared the audience for the more intimate nature which followed.
There was also a difference in the men’s energies, with Jake commanding the audience and rather easily navigating the live crowd, whereas Damian’s nerves showed a little. Although this was short lived, it’s understandable given this is the first night of their tour and we don’t doubt that this will easily be finessed as the tour continues.
What the show has in bucketloads is content. It is packed with snippets of previous podcasts designed to match the impactful messages both Jake and Damian talk through, providing insight and guidance into how each person in the audience can ultimately adopt high performance in their lives.
The excellent thing about this is that it is well paced, relatable and personable, which actually we think is testament to the kind of people that Jake and Damian are.
Singer Kye Soanes also featured in the Norwich show, talking about his career journey, and performing some of his songs, including ‘Remember’, the hit he co-wrote for Becky Hill & David Guetta. While there were snippets of engagement as to Kye’s journey to High Performance, it would have been nice to see more of an engagement with Kye and the two hosts, as without this, his feature in the show feels a bit more disjointed.
Owen O’Kane was the guest speaker of the evening, and he did not disappoint. In 20 minutes, he manages to perfectly capture the audience’s full attention, mixing light and shade as he talks through behaviours and mindset. An excellent addition to the evening’s dynamic format, which does leave you wondering what is coming next.
The second half introduces audience participation to the evening, and this certainly feels like the most relaxed part of the show. It flows well, allowing the two hosts to relax into what they do best, and it is great to see so many people keen to engage in this manner.
This is a show that wants you to take something from it, and you would be hard pushed not to find something that you can adopt and take into your everyday life. The hosts admit that what they’re teaching isn’t anything new, but their delivery is unique and the messages have and do continue to have genuine impact on people, not only through the podcast, but through these live shows also. You can’t help but warm to both Jake and Damian, and we think it’s their humanity which makes the show feel so relatable and engaging.
The High Performance Tour is taking place around the UK in 9 more locations, the next of which is the London Palladium on 20 April.
Tour Dates and information can be found here https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/live2023
Lauren Farley - Four Stars