My Fair Lady
Chichester Festival Theatre
until 5th September
From the moment that I entered Chichester Festival theatre to attend this performance of My Fair Lady. I was incredibly impressed with the effort that had gone into dressing the theatre beautifully in a flower inspired theme as a nod to Elizas profession. From a flower wall to decals on the washroom mirrors stating “You look loverly’, the atmosphere for the evening was set before even taking your seat in the auditorium.
With such an emphasis on appropriate theming, one might wonder whether this production would turn out to be one of style over substance. But without a shadow of a doubt my response would be not in the slightest. This revival of the 1956 musical was an absolute delight which had the audience clapping along, laughing and giving the cast deserved acknowledgment with a theatre wide standing ovation at the performance’s conclusion.
The casting director for this production Stuart Burt CDG CSA, did a remarkable job with this cast with everyone seamlessly embodying their character with perfection. For a truly great production of this musical, much rests upon the lead casting choices and the dynamic that they create together. I was utterly astounded to discover that in the role of Eliza Dolittle, Keziah Ibe is making her professional debut. She so skilfully portrayed Elizas transition from ‘Flower Girl’ to ‘Duchess’ whilst perfecting the accompanying dialects of ‘working-class Cockney’ to ‘high society British’. She truly captivated the heart of the character as a lovable young woman from humble beginnings, wishing to better herself and her opportunities in life. I’m eager to see where this actress’s career takes her.
Cast opposite Eliza as the formidable Henry Higgins was Hadley Fraser, who delivered the paradoxically pompous professor with such energy and commitment throughout the entirety of the show. As a character who prides himself on being the forefront of all knowledge regarding the formalities of human communication yet being utterly inept (initially at least) with recognising the intrinsic value of a young woman such as Eliza. Higgins can be a challenging character to like, yet Hadley somehow makes him likeable despite his misgivings which makes the shows finale.
I must also give the deserved recognition to another member of the creative team, Stephen Mear as Choreographer. Particularly for two of the ‘livelier’ ensemble numbers in the show namely “With a Little Bit of Luck” and “Get me to the Church on time”. The sheer energy and joy that radiated from the cast, capturing the heart and soul of the working class ‘Londoners’ was marvellous to behold. Combined with strong vocals and rapport amongst the cast, there was such authenticity in these scenes which transported you back to the Edwardian times in which the show is set.
So much of Eliza’s journey is communicated through costume, and this was effortlessly conveyed in this production through the work of Peter McKintosh Set and Costume Designer. From her humble ‘Flower Girl’ outfit to her ‘Duchess’ dress for the ball, Eliza’s transition is marked perfectly through beautiful costumes in a consistent lavender hue as a note to the flowers she is selling when she initially encounters Higgins.
I thoroughly enjoyed this revival and felt that it perfectly captured the Elizas journey as well as examining the importance of class and societal expectations in comparison with just treating people ‘well’. I would heartily recommend this production and “with a little bit of luck” I can see My Fair Lady achieving the success of previous Chichester Festival Theatre revivals such as Oliver.
My Fair Lady is playing at Chichester Festival Theatre until 5th September 2026.
Reviewer: Lisa Dawn