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Review by Lizzie Guilfoyle
AFTER
an absence of four decades, My Fair Lady makes a welcome return to
the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Adapted from Pygmalion, Bernard Shaw's classic tale of penniless cockney
sparrow made good and with lyrics and music by Lerner and Loewe, Cameron Mackintosh
has turned My Fair Lady into a lavish spectacle, punctuated by songs
that have inspired generations.
At the heart of the story is Eliza Doolittle, a simple flower girl whose mispronunciation
of the English language is nothing short of lamentable.
Help, though, is at hand - in the form of Professor Henry Higgins, a role
made famous by the splendid Rex Harrison. A hard act to follow, Alex Jennings
fills his shoes admirably, epitomising male chauvenism to perfection, yet
at the same time, cleverly aligning naivety - clearly evident in 'A hymn
to him', in which he asks, "Why can't a woman be more like a man'?
- with a certain boyish charm, thus making the character extremely likeable
if, at times, somewhat exasperating.
It is Higgins who undertakes the seemingly impossible task of transforming
Eliza; of, in fact, passing her off as a duchess at the embassy ball and in
this, he is encouraged, albeit in a small wager, by Colonel Pickering (Malcolm
Sinclair), a man of few words but whose facial expressions convey a great
deal more. Sober, he is a delight; drunk, doubly so.
Dennis Waterman, well-remembered for his roles in television's The Sweeney
and Minder, stamps his own authority on the role, originally played
by the great Stanley Holloway, that of Eliza's hard-drinking, hard-talking
father, Alfred P Doolittle.
A man of few principles and, in his own way, as chauvenistic as his daughter's
mentor, he should, by rights, be detestable. That audiences adore him, owes
much to Waterman's enthusiastic portrayal.
'With A Little Bit of Luck', backed by an orchestra of dustbin lids,
washboards, kettles and the like, as well as 'Get Me To The Church On Time'
are guaranteed to lift spirits and set feet tapping.
Sadly, it is with Eliza that I have my one and only criticism. With no disrespect
to Joanna Riding, whose portrayal is touchingly endearing, with its ingenious
mix of overt brashness and underlying vulnerability, she appears far older
than her 20 years would suggest. A minor consideration, however, and one that
can easily be overlooked.
With a supporting cast that boasts the likes of Peter Prentice, as Freddy
Eynsford-Hill, Eliza's love interest and played here as a slightly foppish
and highly-strung young man; Dilys Laye, as Higgins' kindly house-keeper,
Mrs Pearce and, lastly, but by no means least, Caroline Blakiston, as the
professor's long-suffering mother; the evening offers a company that slips
as effortlessly into minor roles as Eliza drops her H's and a script that
is witty, often hilarious and yet, at times, patently moving.
All told, My Fair Lady is a feast for eyes and ears. Long may it grace
London's West End.
My Fair Lady, Directed by Trevor Nunn; Choreographer, Matthew Bourne; Designer, Anthony Ward; Lighting Designer, David Hersey; Musical Supervisor, David White; Music Director, Nick Davies. STARRING: Alex Jennings, Joanna Riding, and Dennis Waterman. Theatre Royal Drury Lane London. Nearest Tube: Covent Garden.
