Birmingham Hippodrome – until Sunday 19 Mar 2023
Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh
4****
My Fair Lady is the Lerner & Loewe smash hit musical, which first hit Broadway in 1956. It follows the story of feisty flower girl Eliza Doolittle, who under the tutelage of Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, takes speech lessons so she can drop her cockney drawl and rise above her station. At the same time, Higgins stands to win a bet if he can succeed in taking a girl out of the gutter and fooling people into believing she is a lady. An agreement is formed, and the process begins. However, despite his highly professional and cynical nature, and completely unawares to him, Higgins develops an attachment to Eliza. Eliza too grows fond of Henry, she also battles with knowing who she is after changing so drastically.
This is where this production loses a star, its character development. This show as a whole is wonderous but its missing key elements. The chemistry between Higgins and Eliza is never realised and there is no real suggestion of an awkward romance between them. There are opportunities galore, during the prolonged elocution training, a lingering glance, a close touch, but instead these moments were geared up for comedy. When Eliza sings ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ it didn’t have quite the impact it could have had if the romantic element had been emphasised, and when Higgins sings ‘I’ve grown accustomed to her face’, it comes off the back of him stating he has missed Eliza’ being a glorified personal assistant. Other characters also came across as one dimensional and odd. The first half was very long, it would have been perfect to have had the interval just before the races. The second half was very dialogue heavy, explaining things which should have been clear from punchy lines, delivery and movement.
This aside, the production values were astounding. Michael Yeargen’s set is a multi-layered marvel. A mixture of watercolour backdrops, lampposts, barrows, sets wheeled in and out, doubling up, and a wonderful three-dimensional, revolving set piece that enabled us to view the Higgins’s house in its entirety, from the stuffy study with its gramophones, books and spiral staircases, to the garden, hallway and even the bathroom. There is a glorious scene where an enraged Eliza traverses through all the rooms singing ‘Just You Wait’ as the set piece revolves around her.
Michael D. Xavier as Henry Higgins was engaging. Powerful voice and great stage presence. His take on Higgins was reminiscent of a foppish Hugh Grant and a sullen teen as opposed to a much older, stern Professor in the original production. Adam Woodyatt was brilliant in the role of Alfred P. Doolittle. He had bundles of energy and lots of comedy, the Eastender brought a real piece of the Eastend to the show with his rendition of ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’. I couldn’t help but feel the world-famous soprano Lesley Garrett, who played Mrs Pearce, was sorely under used. Breaking the forth wall at one point she is a consummate professional and was an utter joy to watch. John Middleton as Colonel Pickering was oodles of fun. He embodied every part of the Colonel, and, along with Michael D. Xavier, Lesley Garrett and Rebekah Lowings they combined to bring the stage to life.
A special mention has to go to Rebekah Lowings, who played Eliza Doolittle. As an understudy for the night, she was simply sublime. She grabbed the role of Eliza and made it her own. Audrey Hepburn vibes, she commanded the stage with aplomb. She delivered flawless renditions of ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’, ‘The Rain in Spain’, and ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’, the final note leaving me tingling and a reverberation around the theatre.
The cast as a whole, were amazing and came together to give a stunning vocal, visual and physical performance. My Fair Lady is ladened with the most beautiful songs. This production has stunning sets, sumptuous costumes and sensational singers. If you love the film you will enjoy this performance. It was loverly hearing people leave the theatre singing and whistling, I knew the music would stay with them all night.