STAGE REVIEW My Fair Lady at Curve, Leicester

Minal Patel (Hugh Pickering) David Seadon-Young (Henry Higgins) Molly Lynch (Eliza Doolittle)
My Fair Lady at Curve, Leicester (2024)
Photography Marc Brenner

Overview
Professor of Phonetics, Henry Higgins, claims that he can geographically pinpoint where people originate from (especially in London boroughs) by the coloquial speech used and the quirks of language that a person has adopted.

In London, Higgins meets up with Hugh Pickering as they share an interest in linguistics and while on their way to Higgins' residence at Walpole Street they fall upon the young, Eliza Doolittle selling flowers; both men are 'intrigued' by her Cockney accent and her use (or misuse) of English vowels.

Confirmed batchelor, Higgins has no interest in Eliza other than using her as a social experiment to prove that he can raise her position in London society by teaching her to pronounce her vowels and enunciate her use of English language 'properly', Pickering says he will fund the process. Eliza is invited to stay at the house to receive her lessons and is under the watchful eye of housekeeper, Mrs Pearce. Eliza's opportunistic father, Albert P Doolittle profits from this plan.

Eventually, Eliza is introduced to London's middle classes and they love her! Eliza's elocution is changed and Higgins' experiment is a success, however, Eliza challenges him about his class snobbery and his chauvinistic and detached ways.

The fictional story of Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle originates:

'[...] from the play Pygmalion (published 1912) written by playwright George Bernard Shaw. Pygmalion for all intents and purposes is a feminist play and is still performed today. One hundred years or so since it premiered in Vienna it is vital to return to the text and use it as a creative source to continually fulfill Shaw's ambitions of exploring the subject of social inequality' Debra Hall (2024)

With music composition by Frederick Loewe and book/lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner (Lerner & Loewe) My Fair Lady is enduringly popular, one of the best musicals ever with such memorable songs. First performed in 1956, My Fair Lady is a long running Broadway show and also a famous Warner Bros. film of the same title (1964).

My Fair Lady at Curve Theatre , Leicester

directed by Nikolai Foster

Photograph by Marc Brenner

Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Fair Lady - directed by Nikolai Foster.

Wouldn't it be Loverly if fiction depicting reality, was not the reality and Eliza was employed in an Edwardian flower shop rather than having to resort to pitchless pedalling and London's barrow boys and market traders did not all end up walking with drunken staggers by the end of the day? But then, this tale of two worlds colliding: the underprivileged and members of middle-class society coming together would not exist.

The ensemble cast are fabulous in portraying the cheeky chappies and the young children selling flowers and makes from baskets, with the long suffering women trying to keep everyone on the straight and narra'.

All cast members give animated performances and are full of movement and dance energy. The full ensemble performing the song in Act Two Get Me To The Church On Time led by actor, Steve Furst as Alfred, is the absolute highlight of the show with some fabulous examples of performing arts expertise in this scene.

Any doubts about mis casting attached to the main players are soon dispelled, David Seadon-Young as Higgins and Molly Lynch as Eliza give speedy delivery of their lines and are sure-fired solid together and with Minal Patel as Pickering they prove to be a complementary trio.

The whole score is played live by a small group of talented musicians that are tucked away from view - musical director is George Dyer. The cast members are "mic'd up" and the songs are belted out with the gusto one attaches to a traditional, emotion driven, stage musical. 

Minal Patel (Hugh Pickering) Molly Lynch (Eliza Doolittle) and David Seadon-Young (Henry Higgins) 
My Fair Lady at Curve, Leicester (2024)
Photography Marc Brenner

Nothing is 'saved for later' when performing the musical numbers - it is full-on dynamics all the way; this is all the more obvious when Lynch and Djavan De Fuert too, as Freddy, turn almost operatic when performing their stirring solo numbers namely: I Could Have Danced All Night and On the Street Where You Live. They chase all the way to the back and then race back to the front of a vast stage in order to fill it with sound and in body - it is quite a feat!

Michael Taylor's set design of the inside of Higgin's home is on two levels and includes two stairways. The huge build splits in two halves and are pushed with easy movement during scenery changes, along with the scenic painting and the prop additions this is incredible in its form and function and is used to full advantage.

This is a big, big production with everything thrown at it! On until Sat 04 Jan 2025. Recommended!

** ENDS**

Review by theatre critic, Debra Hall who attended the press night performance of My Fair Lady at the Curve Theatre, Leicester on Thursday 28 November at 7.00pm

REFERENCES

Curve Theatre
https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/

Curve Theatre My Fair Lady Press Night (25 Nov 2024)

Curve Theatre My Fair Lady at Curve - production photography (27 Nov 2024)

Curve Theatre My Fair Lady printed programme

Google.com

Hall, D.
https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2024/04/my-fair-lady-by-chatsworth-players.html

Spark Notes https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pygmalion/character/pickering/