THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; music by Frederick Loewe; adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex until September 5, 2026
Rachel Kavanaugh’s wonderful production of the Lerner & Loewe musical (amazingly the first at Chichester) is not just a revival of well loved classic but sparkling refresh, bringing with it a remarkably fresh outlook on the central relationship between the curmudgeonly linguist Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle the Covent Garden flower girl he passes off as a lady. By the end you realise the transformation hasn’t just all been one way.
Here, mercifully, actors have been cast for their singing rather than their fame and this too is totally refreshing. Keziah Ibe in the lead is making her professional debut and is just out of Arts Ed. She totally shines, carefully balancing Eliza’s journey from Cockney alley-cat to a poised elegant lay-dee, without ever making us lose sight of the young woman’s strong sense of self.
She’s a perfect match for Hadley Fraser, whose list of credits are so impressive yet it’s difficult to think of him as a veteran as he seems so fresh. He banishes all memories of Rex Harrison, is in glorious voice here, but also brings a great physicality to the role, be it air punching, playing the matador or generally leaping on and off the furniture. He’s also got the acting chops to give us the vulnerability which lies beneath the skin of this emotionally stunted bully.
In terms of sexual politics it’s a museum piece, and many of the lines will make a modern audience wince, but it takes a director with the finesse of Kavanagh to so cleverly subvert the misogyny here. ‘A Hymn to Him’ is a masterpiece of staging, as the housemaids and a great Mrs Pearce (Finty Williams) mock his ignorance while getting him dressed for the day – a neat way to underscore his utter dependence on women. Likewise, a stately Belinda Lang is delightfully tart as the razor sharp Mrs Higgins, whose sympathies always lie more with Eliza than with her boorish, sexist, son. Tony Jayawardena too is great as the warm-hearted Colonel Pickering, also perfectly capturing his boyish nerdiness.
Loewe’s immaculate score soars from light operetta to raucous music-hall, the latter exemplified by Gary Milner who triumphs as Eliza’s scoundrel of a father Alfred P Doolittle. The great Cockney knees-up numbers ‘With a Little Bit of Luck’ and ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’ bring the house down, and so they should, and veteran choreographer Stephen Mear creates some joyful showstoppers bringing witty detailing to the large ensemble numbers.
That’s to be contrasted with the eye-catching Ascot Gavotte scene, which works perfectly here on this large revolve, all the better to showcase Peter McIntosh’s lavishly extravagant costumes. One area you can’t scrimp on here is the need for a massive hat budget!
McIntosh’s recreation of Higgins' cluttered, Edwardian, study is beautifully detailed. The only let downs are the street scenes, such as the opening, when it feels far too bare on this vast open stage, but that’s one technical challenge too many on this thrust stage.
The show takes a while to get into gear but when it does it’s a wonderfully escapist triumph. It should transfer to the West End.
