Preview: My Fair Lady, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

Preview: My Fair Lady, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

The critically acclaimed and multi award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe’s much loved My Fair Lady will open at Mayflower Theatre from 12-29 January 2023.

My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady”.

But who is really being transformed?

Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion, My Fair Lady premiered on Broadway in March 1956, winning 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history at the time.

Following this success, the show transferred to London in 1958, where it played in the West End for five and a half years.

Directed by Bartlett Sher, this sublime production features Frederick Loewe’s ravishing score and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, including the classic songs I Could Have Danced All Night, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, On the Street Where You Live, The Rain in Spain, and I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.

Eastenders’ Adam Woodyatt has been cast as Alfred P. Doolittle, along with Michael D. Xavier as Henry Higgins and Charlotte Kennedy as Eliza Doolittle. They are joined by world famous soprano Lesley Garrett playing Mrs Pearce and John Middleton (Emmerdale) as Colonel Pickering.

“It is such an iconic role,” explains Adam. “The original stage show and the film came out before I was born, but the story and characters are ingrained into musical theatre history, as are the two songs I get to perform – With a Little Bit of Luck and Get Me to the Church on Time.

“Everyone knows the music and when it came along I was like ‘I’ve got to give this a go’.”

Tickets for My Fair Lady (12 – 29 January 2023) are on sale at mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811.

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