My Fair Lady premiered on Broadway in 1956 and is set at the turn of the twentieth century, when there were still plenty of people employed in domestic service. Through contemporary lenses, then, the likes of Henry Higgins (Nadim Naaman) might as well be living in a parallel universe, getting into a strop because Mrs Pearce (Francesca Ellis), his housekeeper, made him tea instead of coffee. And that’s before taking into consideration some very outdated views on Eliza Doolittle (Simbi Akande) specifically and women generally – there’s even an assertion of ownership, which to me sounded as though Higgins thinks women could be bought and sold like shares in a public company or something.
None of this, of course, is the fault of the production, which does not attempt to modernise a show set in a time when social conventions were very different. That rather more uncomfortable elements of the show are memorable is testament to how convincingly the whole thing is performed. Akande’s Doolittle is more believable as someone on the receiving end of elocution lessons from Higgins attempting to speak to people in high society at Royal Ascot than as a flower seller with a Cockney accent in the first place. That said, her rendering of ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ was popular with the press night audience. It’s a production with plenty of heart, with touches of actor-musicianship supplementing the four musicians who bring a sophisticated score to life. The other standout solo number came from Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Alfie Blackwell, yet to graduate from ArtsEd, according to the show’s programme), delivering ‘On the Street Where You Live’ with endearing conviction and stage presence. Of the larger ensemble numbers, Eliza’s father Alfred comes up trumps in ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’.
The attention to detail is quite extraordinary, with different aspects of the production coming together in such a way to ensure the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Take, for instance, Natalie Titchener’s costume design – Doolittle’s outfit at Royal Ascot might not have been all that impressive. Frankly, these days one might find something similar for a tenner or less on Vinted. But it goes perfectly well with Higgins and a fellow linguist, Colonel Pickering (a delightful Jo Servi) – that is, two men – going off without Doolittle or any other woman to find a ‘suitable’ dress worthy of Ascot. Higgins’ mother (Sophie-Louise Dann) was a strong, no-nonsense character with sharp observations.
The stage space here is what it is (this is a venue that took out rows of seating to enlarge the stage for its previous production of Sondheim’s Gypsy), and the production makes light work of what it has available. Characters sometimes enter and exit through the aisles, adding an extra element of making the audience feel close to the action in an already fairly intimate theatre. A couple of notes, then, on the venue itself. Earlier this year, it gave serious consideration to its financial position, and the implications as to whether it could continue without a substantial cash injection in short order. Some locals responded accordingly, and the venue is able to carry on – if the result is productions of this calibre, it was a very worthy investment. The venue has also built a reputation on being a dinner theatre, though there will be a greater number of ‘show only’ tickets available for its 2026 season, and the seasonal menu (which changes mid-run, post-Christmas) did not disappoint.
It held my attention throughout – which old-school musicals don’t always do, but this production was well-paced – and this heartwarming and captivating show was a pleasure to witness from start to finish.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Lerner and Loewe’s famous musical, the tale of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady, featuring one of musical theatre’s greatest scores, has captivated audiences for decades. Songs include “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?,” “With a Little Bit of Luck,” “The Rain in Spain,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “Get Me to the Church on Time” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” Director Joseph Pitcher returns to the Mill following the award-winning success of Gypsy, High Society and Guys and Dolls.
Zaynah Ahmed – Ensemble / On-Stage Swing
Simbi Akande – Eliza Doolittle
Imogen Bailey – Ensemble / Dance Captain
Alfie Blackwell – Freddy Eynsford-Hill
Sophie-Louise Dann – Mrs Higgins / Mrs Hopkins
Francesca Ellis – Mrs Pearce / Mrs Eynsford-Hill
Will Foggin – Cover for Freddy Eynsford-Hill
Emma Fraser – Ensemble
Nadia Kramer – Ensemble
Conor McFarlane – Jamie
Mark Moraghan – Alfred P. Doolittle
Nadim Naaman – Henry Higgins
Christopher Parkinson – Zoltan Karpathy
Jo Servi – Colonel Pickering
James William-Pattison – Harry
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Lowe
Director & Co-Choreographer – Joseph Pitcher
Set Designer – Diego Pitarch
Costume Designer – Natalie Titchener
Sound Designer – Chris Whybrow
Lighting Designer – Jamie Platt
Musical Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements – Charlie Ingles
Musical Director – Nick Tudor
Co-Choreographer – Alex Christian
Assistant Director – Matthew Jeans
Casting Director – Jane Deitch
MY FAIR LADY
The Mill at Sonning
20 November to 17 January 2026
