Cast for My Fair Lady at Chichester Festival Theatre announced

Exclusive: Full casting has been announced for Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady, which runs in the Festival Theatre from 6 July to 5 September, with a press night on 15 July.

Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, the production marks the first time the musical has been staged at the venue.

Based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, about the tale of a flower seller who is coached to “improve” her social standing, the musical features a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. It was adapted from Shaw’s play and the Gabriel Pascal motion picture Pygmalion, with the original production directed and staged by Moss Hart. The show opened on Broadway in 1956 and was later adapted into the 1964 film version, which won multiple Academy Awards.

Hadley Fraser will return to the venue to play Henry Higgins, with Keziah Ibe making her professional debut as Eliza Doolittle. Ben Culleton will play Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Tony Jayawardena will play Colonel Pickering, Belinda Lang will play Mrs Higgins, Gary Milner will play Alfred Doolittle and Finty Williams will play Mrs Pearce.

The company also includes Jonathan Bourne, Nic Cain, Shani Cantor, Mark D’Arcy, Talia Duff, Nicholas Duncan, Zack Guest, Joe Henry, Jennifer Louise Jones, Ella Kora, Reuben Lally, TJ Lloyd, Maggie Lynne, Anna McGarahan, Kody Mortimer, Rachel Stanley and Jessica Vaux.

Kavanaugh’s previous productions at Chichester include The Music Man, Shadowlands and Half a Sixpence. The creative team for My Fair Lady includes set and costume designer Peter McKintosh, choreographer Stephen Mear, musical supervisor Stephen Ridley, musical director Cat Beveridge, lighting designer Howard Harrison, sound designer Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound and casting director Stuart Burt CDG.

The run will also include a dementia-friendly performance on 29 July and a relaxed performance on 1 September. A summer gala on 28 August will support the theatre’s Stage the Future fundraising campaign for the next generation of theatre-makers.

See the venue’s full season announcement