My Fair Lady - 31st March - 5th April 2008

A truly sparkling show filled with many memorable musical numbers including:-

Why can't the English Learn to Speak?

Wouldn't it be Loverly?

With a Little bit of Luck!

Just You Wait 'Enry 'Iggins!

The Rain in Spain

I Could Have Danced all Night

On the Street Where You Live

Get Me to the Church on Time

Synopsis

Henry Higgins is at Covent Garden taking notes on British dialects, notably that of flower girl, Eliza Doolittle. He tells her that he and his friend, Colonel Pickering, can teach her to speak like a lady so that she would no longer need to be a flower-seller, but could open her own shop. Next day, Eliza appears at Higgins' home to ask him to teach her proper diction and he agrees. However, her Cockney mannerisms and moralities become so exasperating to him that he nearly gives up. She, in turn, is driven to distraction by his thoughtless treatment and incessant instruction. At length however, she triumphantly learns correct pronunciation and they celebrate with a dance. It is late at night, and the housekeeper urges her to go to bed, but she is too exhilarated. Soon afterwards, at the Ascot Races, Higgins introduces her to society for the first time. Whilst there, she attracts the attentions of Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Finally, after months of hard work, she is ready for the big experiment, and is taken to a splendid ball where she succeeds brilliantly.

After the ball, Higgins and Pickering are congratulating each other on their successful project, completely forgetting Eliza. Hurt and angry, she rushes out of the house and runs into Freddy. He professes his love but she demands that he stops just talking about it and actually demonstrates his feelings. In the meantime, due to a recommendation by Higgins, her father has become famous for his philosophies and has finally come into money. He decides that it is time he married the woman with whom he has been living for years but is keen to spend one last night on the town vefore becoming 'respectable'. The professor, awakening in the morning, discovers his guinea pig gone and snappishly muses on the frailties of women. He eventually finds Eliza at his mother's home, where she has gone for warmth and sympathy, but she refuses his tentative offerings of a truce. On his way back to his own house Higgins finally begins to realise how profoundly Eliza has affected his life. He is sitting at home listening to recordings of her voice when, as the curtain falls, she quietly enters.