Proving most popular in the London Coliseum earlier this year, this new revival of musical staple My Fair Lady – currently at Cardiff’s WMC – is directed by Bartlett Sher, and its New York Lincoln Centre staging defines how America sees the UK, or Edwardian London at least. 

The story, if you’re not familiar with its original production or the 1964 film adaptation, revolves around Covent Garden flower girl Eliza Doolittle and phonetics expert Professor Henry Higgins. When the latter makes a bet that he can pluck the girl from the streets and pass her off as a lady of high standing following six-months worth of elocution and manners training, sparks begin to fly between the pair as Eliza’s feisty nature rubs up against Higgins’ misogynistic ego.

Weighing in at almost three hours, this production is far from a wow, yet still has much in its favour. The sets had their finest moments in Higgins’ townhouse, clad in dark browns and gramophone horns, which revolved to reveal a parlour, shower and tight patio space. The exterior pub set is relatively flat and has little appeal, though the amusing scene at Ascot showed off – as you’d expect – the costume department, equally lavish and monochromatic.

The songs of Lerner and Loewe remain piffy, toe-tapping and clever, though a lot of this can be traced back to its source material, George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion. This being a show so much about speech, it forgets to have most of a cast who can sing ‘proper’. Both Cockney and posh accents prominently feature in so many of the songs, yet we don’t get many belters.

Whilst there are some problems concerning sexism and classism (Eliza condescended and threatened for her ‘lowly’ status, and even bartered with), it’s My Fair Lady’s droll humour that wins at the end of the day. A change to the usual ending also proves pointless – the reason for flower girl Eliza to go back to Higgins, then to leave again, is not made clear. It may keep the spirit of Pygmalion alive, but it brushes aside the musical’s change of ending. I guess we need this liberty for our time.

After the Lincoln Centre’s London version, I expected more diversity in the leads; for Cardiff, this did not transpire, though the ensemble is different. The cast do a good job in the roles: Michael D. Xavier might be a little young to play Higgins, though his erratic, almost camp floundering around the stage is rather sweeping. He’s decent in the songs, which have never been very strenuous in vocal range. Charlotte Kennedy, as Eliza, brings the nasal, shrill voice of London to the role; some fine vocal moments featured, and her transformation to a duchess gave her the singing voice we craved (though her delivery of the famous “Dover” line at Ascot could have had a bit more gusto).

Former Eastenders actor Adam Woodyatt plays Eliza’s dad Alfred and gets two of My Fair Lady’s best songs, in spite of the role vanishing during a middle part of the show which doesn’t really lead anywhere. John Middleton plays Colonel Pickering – very much Higgins’ sideman, yet perhaps the most likeable male character for his sincerity and kindness towards Eliza – and has fun in the role.

Lesley Garrett is Mrs Pearce, serving the Professor and fed up in her duties, and though she has brief vocal spots it’s not much of a singing role. The most robust voice of the night, indeed, is Tom Liggins as giddy gentleman Freddie Eynesford-Hill who tries to woo Eliza – his On The Street Where You Live was a delight. Mrs Higgins, mother to Henry, was taken on by Heather Jackson: a brief affair delivered with assurance, notably when scolding her son.    

My Fair Lady feels like a big show, but a by-the-numbers one with few surprises. It’s one for the musical goer seeking a light evening at the theatre – albeit one tackling gender, class and, of course, phonetics.

My Fair Lady, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed 9 Nov

On until Sat 26 Nov . Tickets: £19.50-£78.50. Info: here

words JAMES ELLIS