Gerard Ninnes as Henry Higgins and Tina Robinson as the flower girl, Eliza Doolittle.
The story of the tussle between a penniless Covent Garden flower girl and a wealthy misogynist, who wants to pass her off as a lady, still manages to weave its magic, due in no small to the excellent performances of Gerard Ninnes as Henry Higgins; Peter Dark as his colleague, Pickering, and Tina Robinson as the flower girl, Eliza Doolittle.
These three accomplished singers inhabit their roles with flair, obviously relishing their opportunities to deliver performances which capture every nuance to reveal the brilliance of Alan Jay Lerner’s libretto.
Cast against type, Robert Grice is a spirited Alfred Doolittle, whether trying to inveigle Henry Higgins of five quid or leading the ensemble in the riotous “Get Me To The Church On Time”. Micki Beckett charms as Mrs Higgins, patiently accommodating her son’s outrageous excesses, and Charles Hudson, in fine voice as the gormless Freddy Eynsford Hill, ensures that “On the Street Where You Live” is the highlight it is meant to be.
Excellent singing, supported by some very fine playing from the large, well-disciplined orchestra conducted by Jenna Hinton, is a feature of this production, with careful attention to the harmonies in the ensembles, particularly in “The Servants Chorus”.
The well-staged production numbers, with Belinda Hassall’s simple, appropriate choreography, are performed by the large ensemble with confidence and gusto. The “Ascot Gavotte” is particularly outstanding with lovely costumes, designed by Janetta McRae, and witty hats by Tina Robinson and Kerry Kemp.
As well as the brilliance of its songs and dialogue, “My Fair Lady” was also originally a visual spectacle. Thompson Quan Wing has devised a series of attractive set-pieces that cleverly hint at the spectacle, while serving the storyline well. His study for Higgins is particularly effective.
But there are a lot of scene changes to be accomplished in this show and, despite the herculean efforts of the back-stage crew, the first-night running time of three hours and 20 minutes did test the stamina of the audience. However, judging from the response during the curtain-calls, not many would have missed a second of this truly impressive production.
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