Waiting at the side of the stage for the production to begin, a lady dressed in '20's awaits. A clap of heart stopping thunder to give you a scare and wake you up just incase you were feeling a little tired! She runs onto the stage and a crowd gathers to begin the conversation. Cue Eliza Doolittle, flower seller, as she tries to sell flowers and chaos ensues . Col Pickering is introduced and she owes him a flower. As Henry Higgins introduces himself. Each man was on this way to London, India respectively to meet each other, as they have written books on diction! As they talk, Eliza overhears Henry's address, 27 Wimpole Street for future reference of course. Henry listens to dialects and is able to tell which country/region people hail from. A taxi is hailed but as no one is there to take it, Eliza does, adding she has money to pay for it. Probably a first with a small car as a taxi appearing on stage, at least for me.
Henry and the Colonel talk about the various contraptions and gadgets Henry has set up at home with recording devices. As Henry bursts into phonics/phonetics on vowel sounds. As the audience laughs hysterically. (Sometimes you wish you wouldn't get that over-enthusiastic belly laugher who drowns out the speech! Aaah-las what can you do.) Eliza turns up and wants to be taught to speak 'proper.' Henry takes on the challenge.
Starring Bertie Carvel as Henry Higgins (aka Inspector Adam Dalgliesh from Channel 5's Dalgliesh who puts in a commendable performance as Henry "Just you wait 'enry" 'iggins. I was immediately taken back to Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, well maybe some of you may have to squint or close your eyes, but to me he did sound like him especially when I first heard him. He was also in an episode of series 1 of Sherlock The Blind Banker as Seb Wilkes. Sufficed to say Patsy Ferran as Eliza wasn't an Audrey Hepburn, though one of her floral dresses and her hair reminded me of her. I did half expect a burst into song. Sylvestra Le Touzel as Henry's mother was a great addition. I recall her from an early BBC production of Mansfield Park, where she played Fanny price. It was good to meet her afterwards. Though she was taken aback at recalling some of her earlier starring roles, including Midsomer Murders. Anyone remember her in her own elocution lesson in the Heneiken ad from way back re "the water in Majorca don't taste like what it oughta" in cockney. Good to meet Bertie as well, though I was a little surprised me and my sister were the only ones who stayed to meet him at Stage Door afterwards! Yikes.
Varied reviews on this from being a hit to barely passable. Yes the press was rather cruel, calling Eliza's change rushed and hasty. Well, not much you can do in just over two hours, or more that could be dwelled upon. Did they want blood. Or were their "squashed cabbage leaf faces" too wilted to see the differences in the production to other adaptations. They can't all be carbon copies. Even the ending was different, though they did speak of love, Eliza was more interested in being with Freddy (Taheen Modak) and marrying him just as soon as she could support him. Though she did end up setting up her own elocution school. As Henry appeared to be more interested in Eliza's soul.
The show runs until 28th October at the Old Vic, London, if you want to see it and judge for yourself!
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