Advertisement

A 'loverly' evening - our review of My Fair Lady

A scene from My Fair Lady <i>(Image: Mayflower Theatre)</i>
A scene from My Fair Lady (Image: Mayflower Theatre)

WHAT better way to spend an evening than in bygone Britain where the frocks are fabulous and the characters are quaint?

It was simply loverly to see the ultimate rags-to-riches tale back on stage.

My Fair Lady is the story of cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle, who takes speech lessons from phonetics expert Professor Henry Higgins in order to become a lady.

READ MORE: Review of The Cher Show at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre

Charlotte Kennedy plays Eliza with vocal aplomb, seemingly transforming from the roughest of diamonds to an elegant member of the nobility before our very eyes. Her soaring voice filled the auditorium, meaning Wouldn't It Be Loverly? and Just You Wait were real highlights.

Michael D. Xavier makes a charming Professor Higgins without a hint of the malice in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. He and his linguistics sidekick Colonel Pickering (John Middleton) make a delightful double act.

Eastenders star Adam Woodyatt is not on stage a great deal but his turn as Eliza's newly rich and rather jolly dustman dad Alfred P Doolittle is a lively treat that includes the superb numbers With A Little Bit of Luck and Get Me to the Church on Time, featuring showgirls and showboys.

Daily Echo:
Daily Echo:

Celebrated soprano Lesley Garrett brings an impressive operatic touch to another familiar favourite, I Could Have Danced All Night.

I adored the clever revolving set, which switches from Victorian London to the study of Professor Higgins and from the races to the ballroom. The pop-up pub was a particular joy.

I can see why this reimagining of Lerner and Loewe's glorious musical was such a huge hit with American audiences on Broadway, depicting a Disney version of long-ago England with top hats and tails, period lamp posts, and a London skyline topped by  St Paul's Cathedral with not a skyscraper in sight.

Daily Echo:
Daily Echo:

The Southampton audience also loved it, rewarding the hard-working and talented cast with a standing ovation.

It's certainly an entertaining evening with some super musical numbers, lavish costumes, stylish sets, and an outstanding orchestra.

But, for me, it was a touch too long at around three hours, elegant rather than epic, and solid rather than sensational.

 

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.

Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.

You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.

Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today.

Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook

Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook