My Fair Lady at Curve, Leicester review – a visual delight

My Fair Lady is the Lerner and Loewe smash-hit musical based on the George Bernard Shaw 1913 play Pygmalion. First hitting Broadway in 1956, it follows the story of feisty flower girl Eliza Doolittle, who under the tutelage of Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, takes speech lessons so she can drop her cockney drawl and rise above her social standing. At the same time, Higgins stands to win a bet if he can succeed in taking a girl out of the gutter and fool people into believing she is a lady.

This Made at Curve Christmas production, directed by Nikolai Foster, is stunning. Michael Taylor’s set and costume design is a metamorphic feast for the eyes. It’s a luscious mixture of Covent Garden’s wrought iron arches, lamp posts and barrows, with washing billowing on lines. Then, it transforms to become the inside of Higgins Edwardian house in the blink of an eye. It fluidly moves back to the markets, into a pub, a church and seamlessly back to the home. The cast comes on and off the stage from around the theatre and through multiple doors – which makes for a wonderful multi-dimensional experience.

Molly Lynch is sublime as Eliza Doolittle. She grabs the role of Eliza making it her own, commanding the stage with aplomb. She delivers flawless renditions of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, “The Rain in Spain”, and “I Could Have Danced All Night”. David Seadon-Young makes for an engaging Henry Higgins, possessing great stage presence and comedic timing. His take is reminiscent of a sullen, dismissive teen as opposed to the much older, stern Professor portrayed in more traditional productions. Minal Patel plays Colonel Pickering with a flair of frivolity. He embodies every part of the Colonel and, along with Seadon-Young and Lynch, combines to ignite the stage with comedic efforts.

It’s truly a cast of the highest order. Brimming with energy and enthusiasm, Steve Furst’s astounding Alfred P Doolittle stops the show with a rendition of “Get Me to the Church on Time”, while Cathy Tyson delights as Mrs Higgins and Djavan Van De Fliert is endearing as Freddy. The overall company give a stunning vocal, visual and physical performance.

Where the production loses a star is in its character development. The relationship between Higgins and Eliza is ambiguous and there appears to be no authentic connection between them. This production focuses mainly on the comedic value, so when it attempts to employ more heartfelt moments, it misses the mark slightly.

However, My Fair Lady is ladened with the most beautiful songs which will lift your heart. Joanna Goodwin’s choreography and George Dyer’s musical supervision brings them to life in the most magical way. This production has stunning sets, sumptuous costumes and sensational singers and performers. If you love the film, you will enjoy this production no end.