Chichester Festival Theatre

REVIEW: My Fair Lady, Chichester Festival Theatre, until Saturday, September 5, book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe, adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion, original production directed and staged by Moss Hart.

Are we watching the misogynistic tale of a ghastly social experiment? Or is it an entrancing story of empowerment, all wrapped up in a glorious musical?

Chichester Festival Theatre’s new production of My Fair Lady will leave you firmly persuaded it’s the latter as it carries you with it across a gorgeous three hours. Yes, three hours, and it seemed quite a prospect as we walked in. But in the event I could have watched all night – hugely thanks to a sensational performance from Keziah Ibe as our Eliza Doolittle on professional debut.

It really won’t be long before we’re all saying: “Oh yes, we saw her first in Chichester, you know.” Ibe simply dazzles in the part, from the moment she appears, chewing and mangling the English language, right through to her transformation into a lady of manners perfectly at home at the embassy ball.

But the point is that in Ibe’s performance we see an Eliza who retains her dignity at every twist and turn, giving as good as she gets and eventually giving far better than she gets. There’s no doubt who’s got the upper hand as she mingles with the upper classes. It’s a skilled and hugely spirited performance from a complete stage natural. It will live long in the memory.

Brilliant too from Hadley Fraser as Henry Higgins, the language professor who rises to Colonel Pickering’s bait and accepts his bet to transform “squashed cabbage leaf” Eliza into a duchess.

Again, there is huge skill in the performance. Fraser gives us a Higgins who is simmeringly questionable, increasingly objectionable and yet always hugely charismatic, quite boyishly endearing and ultimately vulnerable. He brings to the part an infectious curiosity and energy which suggest that Higgins is considerably more than the bully and brute he can so often appear.

There is great support from Tony Jayawardena as Colonel Pickering, the humane voice in the wager, protective of Eliza. Similarly so from Finty Williams as Mrs Pearce, the housekeeper – a kindly soul keeping a watchful eye.

Bringing something special to every scene he appears in is Gary Milner as Eliza’s dad, Alfred Doolittle, an Edwardian Del Boy out for himself and what he can get but charming too, a loveable rogue who wins everyone over, not least with the wonderful two songs he sings, full-company pieces which he leads magnificently. Excellent too from Belinda Lang as Higgins’ disapproving mother who has the emotional intelligence to realise quickly just what it is that Eliza represents.

Underpinning the whole show is huge energy from everyone – plus a wonderful sense that they are enjoying the night every bit as much as we are. The songs are brilliantly delivered; the costumes are a picture; and the cleverest of sets offers the perfect platform from which everything soars. How Higgins’ study emerges – and disappears – quite so quickly each time is huge credit to Peter McKintosh. Stephen Mear’s choreography is the icing on the cake.

Director Rachel Kavanaugh (The Music Man, Shadowlands, Half A Sixpence) masterminds it all to perfection on another great night for the Festival Theatre.

And ten minutes before the end during the last preview, there was even an unexpected bonus. A technical issue forced everyone off stage for a few minutes – which, of course, the audience generously accepted and understood. But the improvised line with which Fraser returned more than saved the day. You just had to be there!