My Fair Lady at Birmingham Hippodrome Review

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Wed 08 Mar 2023 - Sun 19 Mar 2023

The superb soundtrack to My Fair Lady feels like a comfort blanket for me. Countless times I've curled up on the sofa to watch Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison sparring it out over the correct way to say 'cup' in the enchanting 1964 movie. Even if Hepburn's songs were dubbed, the costumes, acting and sets have set a standard for decades.

There have been many stage productions before and since but this new version from New York's Lincoln Center Theater is standing out from the crowd, dazzling in London's West End and picking up numerous awards. Now it's on an eagerly awaited UK tour and I caught it at Birmingham Hippodrome where it stays until March 19.

Similarly to ambitious flower girl Eliza Doolittle, this production sets out its stall early on. It's ultra lavish with gorgeous costumes and stage designs recreating Edwardian Britain with a clear nod to the famous film.

There's an impressive revolving stage recreating Higgins' House and the streets beyond. It's also gone one step further and touring with a live orchestra that brings the soundtrack to life even more.



Following the George Bernard Shaw story of cockney flower girl, Eliza, as she's transformed into a lady by learning how to 'speak properly' by pompous language expert Henry Higgins, it's an endearing tale. Adding some compassion is Higgins' friend Colonel Pickering as the men bet whether Eliza can pass herself off as one of the elites at a society ball.

There are iconic scenes during Eliza's journey of education and self-enlightenment from her Rain in Spain celebrations to a trip to the Ascot horse races, which is a charming and funny highlight. There's plenty of comedy in this show especially from the exceptional Michael D Xavier as gruff Higgins, whose almost a parody of the self-centred and outdated male.

Xavier naturally commands the attention and gives Higgins plenty of depth to make an often nasty character so likeable.

It's a timeless musical that weaves in romance and yet also problems with the class system and some of the rich using less well-off people as playthings. It's pleasing to see how this refresh gives Eliza an ending that fits in with modern times.



Along the way, there are fabulous songs including 'I Could Have Danced All Night', 'Get Me to the Church on Time', 'Wouldn’t It Be Loverly' and the hauntingly romantic 'On the Street Where You Live' - so good that it's been covered by many crooners including Nat King Cole.

Even the lively comedic tunes like 'Just You Wait, A Hymn To Him' and 'I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face' are a joy, performed zestfully in this alluring new version.

There are some familiar faces in the cast and who better to play a crafty cockney than EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt. More famously known as Ian Beale in the soap, he plays Eliza Doolittle's no-good dad Alfred P Doolittle, shown above. He's at his best in the big number 'Get Me To The Church On Time'.

Emmerdale's John Middleton is a comforting Colonel Pickering and soprano Lesley Garrett adds finesse and humour as housekeeper Mrs Pearce.



While Charlotte Kennedy normally plays Eliza, I saw understudy Rebekah Lowings who had a stunning voice and was well cast. You'd never know she wasn't the permanent lead.

&&My Fair Lady&& is utterly 'luverly' and so much more. This is big-budget theatre at its best. With a little bit of luck, you'll be able to catch this exceptional musical while you can.

Tickets from £25. The running time is 3 hours. In Birmingham until March 19.

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