Hall illness takes 'High Society' to low point

The West End musical, High Society, has suffered from bad reviews and cast illness. Now, Jerry Hall, 49, the headline performer, has announced she has glandular fever and will not perform again in the role of Mother Lord until the new year.

Ali McInnes, her understudy, has been performing the role for the past week, but producers are in talks with high-profile stars "of the same calibre as Hall" to take over the role.

The show at the Shaftesbury Theatre has had mixed reviews, but those of the former model's performance have almost all been poor. The Mail on Sunday said: "Her singing is flat, her acting flatter, and she walks like a model, not a character with a name and a history, ditto the forced smile."

Kate Bassett wrote in The Independent on Sunday: "She can't act for toffee. Or sing or dance. Yet she's oddly endearing. It's like watching a little girl in a school play, hopelessly awkward but smiling sweetly."