Chichester Festival Theatre – until Saturday 5th September 2026
Reviewed by Sally Lumley
5*****
My Fair Lady has opened at Chichester Festival Theatre, and my goodness what a production! Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, this classic musical from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe tells the story of cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Keziah Ibe) and her transformation into a lady under the tutelage of opinionated professor of phonetics Henry Higgins (Hadley Fraser). Packed with classic songs, clever staging and a top-notch cast, this production is wonderful from beginning to end.
Returning to Chichester for a fourth time, Hadley Fraser is absolutely at home as the cantankerous Henry Higgins. Higgins is condescending, rude and full of class prejudice, making his behaviour feel uncomfortable through modern eyes. However, Fraser finds every scrap of humour, while showing us glimpses of the insecurity and vulnerability that creeps out as he meets his match in Eliza.
The real revelation however, is Keziah Ibe, making an astonishing professional debut as Eliza Doolittle. Her Eliza is spirited and funny, capturing the flower girl’s rough-edged charm before beautifully conveying the inner conflict that comes with her transformation.
My Fair Lady has one of musical theatre’s greatest scores, including songs such as “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?”, “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “On The Street Where You Live”. The ensemble numbers were absolute highlights for me, especially the big cockney knees-up “Get Me To The Church On Time” led by Gary Milner as Eliza’s ne’er-do-well father Alfred. This is simply joyous, with the stage full of energy and character that absolutely bought the house down.
Peter McKintosh’s elegant set makes superb use of the revolving stage, sweeping between Higgins’ wonderfully cluttered study and the lamplit street outside. His costume designs are also wonderful, with the Ascot and Embassy Ball sequences absolutely exquisite. The contrast between Eliza’s humble beginnings and her final transformation is wonderfully illustrated.
Chichester Festival Theatre has delivered another first-class production, making My Fair Lady the perfect treat for a summer’s evening. Highly recommended for a ‘loverly’ night at the theatre.