My Fair Lady has landed in Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre and it will be here until 26 November. The Lincoln Center Theater Production award winning show is on tour in the UK and now we get the chance to enjoy it in our Welsh capital.
For the purpose of this review, we were given free entries to My Fair Lady.
Earlier on in the week, we had the opportunity to attend My Fair Lady’s press night. As usual the atmosphere in the Donald Gordon Theatre is electric and you see smiles all around the room.
My Fair Lady is a production based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. This show has had success at London’s West End and has been on tour for over 15 years. My Fair Lady is a story about a young lady, named Eliza Doolittle. She is a Cockney flower seller. In this story you also get to know Henry Higgins, a professor, whose only mission is to change the way Eliza speaks and make her into a descent lady. It is a story about transformation and love, with a couple of twists and deceptions along the way.
Act 1
In this act we will be introduced to Eliza and Professor Higgins. You will hear songs such as Why Can’t the English?, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? – Eliza and The “Loverly” Quartet. With A Little Bit of Luck – Dolittle + Company. I Could Have Danced All Night, The Rain In Spain, On The Street Where You Live.
Act 2
In this act you will hear songs, such as You Did it, Get Me to the Church On Time, Without You, I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.
Apart from the beautiful costumes, the creative set and the occasional funny one liners, the show was very entertaining. It was a story that in our opinion it is relatable to many women and it reminded us slightly of Jack in Titanic, where he had to learn to dress decently, how to use cutlery correctly and how to speak. The story also showed the rocky relationship that Eliza (Charlotte Kennedy) had with Alfie, her father (who is none other than actor Adam Woodyatt from EastEnders.) Yes, you read that right.
This was an emotional, but liberating process for Eliza as she finally sets herself free from that situation. My Fair Lady is about hope, change and most importantly affection, because after Eliza had made the changes Professor Higgins (Michael D. Xavier) had helped her to achieve, the people around her grew to love her and care for her.
All of the cast members did a fantastic job, but we have to praise Charlotte Kennedy for her talent and voice, it was beautiful and soothing. Michael D. Xavier did a great job of giving Professor Higgins the character and charisma, that we enjoyed so much. And we also have to mention John Middleton who plays Colonel Pickering, because he was outstanding and we loved his celebration dance.
Nevertheless we were left with some unanswered questions. Questions such as: Do Eliza and Professor Higgins end up just being friends? Do they end up being a couple? We think that in the end, some of us were left with mixed responses but it leaves things to the imagination.
Costumes
The costumes were beautiful, elegant and sophisticated. You will see corsets, top hats and women wearing very elegant dresses with big hats. And yes, we have a favourite costume. But we won’t describe it, because you have to see it with your own eyes. She looked beautiful!
Stage and props
The stage had a set mechanism we had never seen before, with Professor Higgins study being a rotating set where on one side there is the study and on the opposite side the entrance to the house with a staircase. We found this set amazing and so practical. It was a very clever set. Well done to the team that came up with this idea.
In Act 1 there is the scene where they are all at the horse races (Scene 6) and the horses are galloping and we hear the sound travel all around the room, from one side to the other. We had never been to a play where they did this before. It was awesome and made the scene seem so much more realistic.
Cast members
Eliza Doolittle, played by Charlotte Kennedy
Professor Henry Higgins, played by Michael D. Xavier
Alfred P Doolittle, played by Adam Woodyatt (from EastEnders)
Mrs Pearce, played by Lesley Garrett
Colonel Pickering, played by John Middleton (from Emmerdale)
Mrs Higgins, played by Heather Jackson
Freddy Eynsford-HIll, played by Tom Liggins
The “Loverly” Quartet, played by Joseph Claus, Jordan Crouch, Tom Ping and Oliver Tester
Frank, The Bartender, played by Paul Westwood
Book and lyrics by: Alan Jay Lerner
Music by: Frederick Loewe
Directed by: Bartlett Sher
A big thank you to Wales Millennium Centre for having us.
The length of this musical
The show runs for approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including the interval.
Where to purchase tickets for My Fair Lady at Wales Millennium Centre
Tickets for My Fair Lady at Wales Millennium Centre can be purchased on their website. The show will be in Cardiff Bay until 26 November. Ticket prices start from £19.50 onwards, click HERE to book your tickets now. Age guidance: 8+ (please check their website for more details.) There is medium to high availability in most days at the moment and remember to check the times of the shows, as they may vary.
If you have already watched this production, let us know your thoughts in the comments below or if you go to watch it, come back here if you can and left us know too.
Thank you for reading.
Stay safe
Kay
