Keziah Ibe and Hadley Fraser in My Fair Lady at Chichester Festival Theatre. Picture: Johan Persson
My Fair Lady continues at Chichester Festival Theatre until 5 September 2026.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Well, what a blooming’ treat this is! I grew up watching the film musical and like many of the audience members at Chichester, I was mouthing Alan Jay Lerner’s lovely words along with the performers.
We love a rags-to-riches tale – or in this case, a makeover story. But Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s My Fair Lady, based as it is on George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion, isn’t just a frothy fairy story. It’s a study of class and manners.
What is true class? True nobility? It’s certainly not having oodles of money or being seen in the ‘right’ places. Who has more integrity: a poor, grubby flower girl who is part of a community and just wants a way out of the gutter, or an arrogant, self-centred professor who has to be looked after by an army of staff just to function?
This relationship between Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins is clearly drawn in this production. As Eliza moves from scruffy, snotty Cockney drab to elegant, willowy, bejewelled debutante, Higgins goes from tweedy respectable prof to dishevelled, manic man baby calling for his mother, unable to button his own shirt or find his slippers.
Social mobility began changing in the 1900s in the industrial age. There was ‘old’ money and ‘new’ money: the landed classes and the new wealthy industrialists. The upper classes had to draw a line to set them apart from these newcomers: the right schools, a classical education, the Queen’s English…
But as much as this show is a study of class and manners, it’s also a very entertaining and uplifting bit of theatre.
Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with Cat Beveridge as musical director, this production is a lovely picnic of a show.
The revolving set is outstanding (set and costume design is by Peter McKintosh) – moving swiftly from Higgins’ study with its multitude of gadgets and drawers and desks to the huddle of flower sellers in the market, Ascot, Higgins’ mother’s conservatory, and the railings of Wimpole Street.
The use of different sets of lights – chintzy to street lanterns descending – is simple and very effective. Lighting generally (Howard Harrison) is excellent, from the warmth of the study and the orange glow of sunrise, to the shaft creating a spotlight, and the stark white glow behind the Ascot scene.
Costumes are sumptuous, in particular during the ‘Ascot Gavotte’, with the exaggerated s-shape look so fashionable at the time and the huge hats, all in icy shades.
And the performances? Top notch. Members of the multi-talented ensemble, playing a multitude of characters, are spot on. Jonathan Bourne, Nic Cain, Shani Cantor, Mark D’Arcy, Jennifer Louise Jones, Ella Kora, Reuben Lally, Maggie Lynne, Anna McGarahan, Kody Mortimer and Jessica Vaux – take a bow, all of you.
The dances (choreography by Stephen Mear) are energetic and elegant by turns. The singing is outstanding and I could hear every word.
Making an incredibly impressive professional debut, Keziah Ibe is extremely engaging as Eliza. I love the feistiness of the characterisation, and her comic timing. Her little side looks to Higgins as if to say “see? I can do this”, even when she’s getting it wrong, are very amusing. She’s assured onstage and so convincing as both as a yowling flower girl and elegant lady.
One very slight criticism is that during the races scene I’d have liked Ibe to slow down when speaking, some hesitancy would have been welcome. Witty lines were slightly thrown away as a result. But she has a mighty, powerful singing voice and a great physical presence on stage. Fabulous.
As Eliza’s father, Gary Milner almost steals the show with his cheeky, crowd-pleasing portrayal of Alfred Doolittle. His Cockney swagger and knowing smile are a big hit. He’s got some moves too! A great comedic performance and some amusing interactions with audience members: “not much longer, love, promise.”
But he is pipped at the post by Hadley Fraser as Higgins. I was exhausted just watching him bounce, crawl and ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’ high step all over the stage, constantly fiddling with gadgets, jumping all over furniture, grabbing and pushing like a hyperactive child. At times he reminded me of Rik Mayall. There’s a wonderfully manic energy to him, snarling, laughing, shouting insults (“baggage” is such a great word isn’t it?). I don’t know how he’s going to keep that level up for the whole run! Superb.
Tony Jayawardena is a nice counterpoint as the more gentle, kindly Colonel Pickering. I like the way he’s egged on to be a bit naughty by Higgins, and there are delightful little touches, such as the response to his knowledge of ladies’ clothing. You can see Eliza’s bemusement as the two men behave like schoolboys at times, neither able to function very well in the real world, relying on the old boy network to get through life.
Ben Culleton is splendid as the lovelorn Freddy, complete with gormless smile and gorgeous voice. Mrs Higgins is ultimately the most civilised of the lot. She calls out Higgins for his treatment of Eliza. The perfectly cast Belinda Lang glides across the stage and gently but cleverly supports and steers the other characters.
The musical’s ending is different to the play where Eliza declares she will marry Freddy and run her own flower shop, abandoning Higgins because of his arrogance. Shaw didn’t want a romantic ending.
In the musical, she threatens these things but ultimately (in most productions) she goes back to Higgins. But they end up as equals, calming facing one another on the same level, as the lights dim, and you get the feeling Higgins has changed. They have transformed each other. He has finally started to reflect on what she has done for him. It’s not romantic exactly, but it is hopeful.
I have no doubts this production will transfer to the West End, so catch it at Chichester while you can.
Kat Wootton
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