My Fair Lady

Them As Pinched It, Done Her In

My Fair Lady

by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe

Questors Productions at the Judi Dench Playhouse, Ealing, until 5^th April

Review by Andrew Lawston

“All I want is a room somewhere,” Eliza Doolittle famously sings at the start of Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, but this is no reflection on the resources, creativity and energy poured into this production in the Judi Dench Playhouse at Questors, as a full cast and ensemble whirl through almost three hours of set and costume changes, accompanied by a full live band.

With a production as well-known and beloved as My Fair Lady, there is nowhere for performers to hide, and more than a few audience members this evening could be seen singing along quietly with the most familiar musical numbers. But Michelle Spencer’s lavish production sees a confident cast take on the show with great energy and gusto.

The show moves at a brisk clip, helped by Robert Spencer’s ingenious set design, which combines projection on to a backcloth with movable pieces of scenery, bringing greater variety to the set and also giving the stage a great sense of depth when needed. The set design is complemented by wonderful lighting design by Martin Walton, a personal highlight being the effect of the moon shining through the windows of the Higgins house as they leave the building to go to the Embassy Ball.

On the sound front, Musical Director Tom Arnold has assembled a talented band who do full justice to Frederick Loewe’s music, producing a sound that more than fills the large auditorium.

Most people will be completely familiar with the story. Linguist Henry Higgins makes a bet with his new friend Colonel Pickering, that with vocal coaching he can pass off Covent Garden flower seller Eliza Doolittle as a duchess. Kirsty King plays Eliza, in the show’s most demanding role, as she must convincingly transform her voice through several social classes, and sing songs that most people associate with Marni Nixon or Julie Andrews. King gives a fantastic performance, both as an actor and as a singer, most notably with a powerful rendition of “Show Me”, but also “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”.

Playing Henry Higgins, Ant Foran is called upon to sing songs that most people associate with Rex Harrison, and he consistently demonstrates a stronger voice. His Higgins is full of vigour and energy, and his performance drives much of the show’s pace.

The third wheel of the 27a Wimpole Street household is of course Colonel Pickering, played with great charm by David Leonard as he frequently tries to encourage Higgins to moderate his behaviour, along with Lesley McCall in a wonderfully understated performance as the resigned housekeeper Mrs Pearce.

Two key characters do not appear until close to the end of the first act. Although Freddy Eynsford-Hill appears in the very first scene, he does not get a great deal to do until the scenes at Ascot. Luke Baverstock shines in the role, again both as a singer and as an actor. Meanwhile, Mrs Higgins, the sober voice of reason throughout the show, is portrayed by Patricia O’Brien as a stern figure who still has a twinkle in her eye, however much her son exasperates her.

Robert Vass takes on the key role of Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s father, and he captures the role of the loveable rogue completely, turning in a show-stealing and toe-tapping rendition of “Get Me to the Church on Time” with the ensemble.

The ensemble do a terrific job throughout the show, bringing movement and energy to numbers including “With a Little Bit of Luck” and “Get Me to the Church”, in a variety of spectacular costumes.

As a happy audience spilled out towards Ealing Broadway at the end of the evening, several could be heard humming or whistling favourite songs

Every aspect of the production has clearly pulled out all the stops for this show, and a few opening night jitters and occasional trouble with microphones can not detract from an ambitious and ultimately triumphant performance of a classic musical.

Andrew Lawston, March 2025

Photography by Carla Marker