My Fair Lady

A review by Kei Bailey on behalf of Regional Rep Stuart Bull

In 1913, George Bernard Shaw’s classic play, Pygmalion, premiered in the Hofburg  Theatre in Vienna. It told the story of the rude and haughty intellectual, Henry  Higgins, a professor of phonetics, who accepts a bet that simply by changing the
speech of a cockney flower seller he will be able to pass her off as a duchess in six months. In 1956, lyricist, Alan Jay Lerner, and composer, Fredrick Loewe, adapted the play into a musical called My Fair Lady, shifting the focus on to Eliza Doolittle,
the young woman who undertakes the speech lessons. As a boy, this was one of my favourite film musicals. I have fond memories of watching this with my family and bouncing around on the sofa to the jaunty ‘With A Little Bit of Luck’ and rolling around with laughter when Eliza shouts those famous, inappropriate words at Ascot. However, when I revisited the film in the past few years, I have to admit I found the plot and characterisations more problematic and rewatching a few of the scenes left me feeling uncomfortable. There is no denying Eliza is not treated at all well by Professor Higgins and his extreme misogyny is unmistakable throughout the musical and in the lyrics of most of his solo numbers. In recent times, My Fair Lady has provoked valid discussion as to whether
or not it should be performed because it does not conform to modern standards. Having watched BOS Musical Theatre Group’s wonderful production last night, I have very much concluded that yes it should. Firstly, and foremost, the songs are ‘abso-bloomin-lutely’ brilliant and Adrian Reed, the musical director, should be congratulated on his masterly handling of the score. It was clearly evident from the outset that his cast had total faith in him and, consequently, this helped to bring out some superb renditions of the songs. He
conducted with aplomb and was as much at ease leading the solos as he was with the larger ensemble numbers, of which I particularly enjoyed The Servant’s Chorus, You Did It and, of course, the Ascot Gavotte. Also, the characters are some of the most memorable in musical theatre and, last night, all the actors gave strong, nuanced performances of them. Matt Brown, who played Professor Henry Higgins, arguably had the most difficult job. Higgins is a man who undoubtedly has very little respect, and maybe even contempt for all women, and this is not a likeable character trait. Therefore, the actor must deliver Henry’s sexist wit and wily wordplay with enough charm and comic timing that he becomes the character you love to hate. Matt achieved this seemingly without effort, blissfully
gliding through his scenes with an understated stage presence. His singing was equally accomplished and he should be commended for how he handled the incredibly wordy, fast-paced lyrics. Occasionally, I felt his diction could have been crisper, especially when the character lost his temper, but this is a minor point in what was a staggeringly good performance.

Playing against Matt, in the other lead role, was Koren Little as Eliza Doolittle. This is the character who goes on the biggest journey and it is a hugely demanding part.  Not only does the actor have to transform from a loud-mouthed, cockney ‘guttersnipe’ to an exquisite, well-spoken lady, but they must also convey a roller-coaster of emotions along the way. Koren rose to that challenge and delivered an earnest and controlled performance, and her rendition of I Could Have Danced All Night was a high point. The angst and passion she invested in the number Show Me was excellent, and I would have liked to have seen this level of emotion a little more often, there were times when I felt she was ‘holding back’ slightly. Also, in the earlier scenes, she would have benefitted from slowing the delivery of her lines down. Having said that, I could definitely see Koren has huge potential and I know she will continue to blossom.  

Complementing these two principal performances was an array of skilled actors in supporting roles. Stuart Bull as Colonel Pickering brought a real warmth and humour to the role and was a great contrast to the sharp, boorish professor he had gone to stay with. Stuart gave a genial and caring portrayal and provided the audience with some lovely comic moments such as his bumbling telephone conversation and his disposal of an unwanted glass of port. Matt Hubbert as Freddy Enysford-Hill was also strong and I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of this awkward socialite and clumsily romantic young man. The performance of his solo On the Street Where You Live was a pleasure. Rachael Hockmeyer played the brusque but pleasant housekeeper, Mrs Pearce, and it was a subtle, well-observed characterisation.

There were two performances that stole the show for me though. Abby Johnson played Mrs Higgins with such sparkle she dazzled when she was on stage, which can only have been for a maximum of ten minutes in total. But she truly made the most of those ten minutes, delivering her lines with a gleeful twinkle and a worldly understanding, all whilst bearing the weight of the entire contents from within an eiderdown quilt. It was a masterclass in making the most of a cameo role. The other actor who I was overwhelmingly impressed with was Trevor Fenton as Alfred P Doolittle. Every time he entered, the stage lit up. His performance was funny, robust and pitched perfectly. Trevor oozed charm and he had the audience ‘eating out of his hands’. His two musical numbers were show-stoppers and the energy he brought to them was remarkable. A special mention to PJ Roberts and Mark Parkin who joined Trevor for the number With A Little Bit of Luck, it was a joyful routine and all three deserve recognition. For me though, the real stars of this show were Jenny Cartwright as the director and Clare Allen as the choreographer. I understand this was Jenny’s first true foray into directing and what an impression she made. It was a slick, polished show with high production values and strong acting scenes. There were so many brilliant moments, too numerous to mention but highlights must include the hilarious conversation at the Ascot Races, the philosophic exchange between Higgins and Doolittle in the drawing room and The Rain in Spain sequence. Clare Allen’s choreography was sublime and deserves all the praise it will inevitably get. Her ideas were inventive and wonderful to watch. I really liked the use of props like tankards and fans in some of the numbers and I loved the humour and mischievousness she brought to some of the routines. My favourite number has to be Get Me to the Church on Time, Clare provided opportunities for everyone to shine in this number and the moment when the men use the ladies’ legs to do the can-can was genius. The ensemble was generally strong and everyone looked like they were having a ball, and not just in the ball scene. Their enthusiasm and vivacity really did lift the production and there were some lovely moments from them all scattered throughout, my favourite being their performance at Ascot. Their singing was tight, their reactions to Eliza’s faux pas were spot on and they looked fabulous in their costumes.

All the wardrobe was indeed excellent and Rachael Hockmeyer, Jules Jones and Koren Little should be praised for providing a wealth of quality costumes in such high numbers – there were a lot of costume changes. Eliza’s ball dress and cloak were simply exquisite and provided such a beautiful moment. On the whole, the attention to detail was strong but, and perhaps this is me nit-picking, I would have liked to have seen the servants in slippers when they entered wearing nightwear and the male servants may have benefitted from black waistcoats to distinguish them from the gentlemen’s evening dress. Jamie-Leigh Payne’s hair styling complemented the costumes perfectly. The props were very good, although I would have liked to see actual tea in the tea cups, and the main set was sumptuous and of the time. The scenic painting was also eye-catching, detailed and vibrant, well done to the set team – Christian Slingsby, Andy Morrant and Jules Jones. For me, though, the white cyc was overused and it is a shame it could not have been tauter. The clever lighting and projection that was used to create atmosphere and illusion would have looked more effective on a smoother and fully stretched backcloth. I really liked the inventive use of the voile to create the marquee at the races and this cleverly disguised the cyc somewhat. The lighting in general was incredible and used very effectively to indicate the passing of time and to reflect mood and emotion during the musical numbers. The only lighting I wasn’t keen on was the flower projection during the overture and entr’acte – it was too ‘sixties’ flower for my liking. The sound was perfect and the microphones were well-balanced and clear. A shout-out to the stage manager, Dan Poulson, and his team, for their practically invisible scene changes and for keeping the show running
seamlessly.

The programme told a little of the story of BOS and as this was their 100th production, included many photographs from past productions, information about My Fair Lay and included advertisements from local businesses in their area, support from the community and thank you's to other companies who are willing to support the local amateur theatre. A massive thank you to all involved for providing such a delightful evening of entertainment. Jenny, Clare, Adrian, assistant director, Christian Slingsby, and producer, Stuart Bull, truly have excelled themselves. Thank you for helping me realise why this musical should be celebrated and performed for years to come. It is a show that examines gender politics and class of the Edwardian era and, rather than being misogynistic itself, it is about the misogyny of the time and how we can learn from that. Yes, Eliza does return to Higgins in the famous final scene but she returns as an empowered woman with an emancipated mind and in this version didn’t fetch the professor’s slippers – a clever touch. Well done, BOS Musical Theatre Group. 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.