★★★★

“a production full of theatrical confidence, energy and affection”

The transformation of a Covent Garden flower seller into a society lady may be at the heart of My Fair Lady, but Lerner and Loewe’s celebrated musical has always been about more than manners and pronunciation. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, its sparkling wit and unforgettable melodies have secured its place in the repertoire, yet beneath the elegance lies a sharper examination of class, identity and the ways society decides who belongs.

Following the success of Oliver! before its West End transfer, Chichester once again turns to a musical centred on social mobility, exploring how class can shape not only where people live but how they are heard and judged. Director Rachel Kavanaugh returns to similarly class-conscious territory after her acclaimed Half a Sixpence at Chichester. The story follows Eliza Doolittle (Keziah Ibe), a flower seller whose chance encounter with phonetics expert Henry Higgins (Hadley Fraser) leads to a wager that becomes far more complicated than either expects. Convinced he can transform her into a lady fit for society, Higgins treats Eliza as both pupil and experiment, but their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Eliza begins to question the person she is becoming and whether Higgins has the right to decide her future.

Where this production excels is in its depiction of working-class life. The Covent Garden scenes are filled with infectious energy, with Ibe joined by the Cockney quartet (Jonathan Bourne, Nic Cain, Joe Henry and Kody Mortimer) in a joyous “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” that establishes the production’s warmth and vitality. Gary Milner is equally memorable as Alfred P. Doolittle, embracing the character’s ducking and diving energy and physical comedy in “With a Little Bit of Luck” and a show-stopping “Get Me to the Church on Time” that brings the evening to a deserved pause for applause.

Fraser’s Henry Higgins is a fascinatingly difficult figure. Charismatic, intelligent and commanding, he captures both Higgins’ brilliance and his arrogance, cruelty and emotional immaturity, resisting any temptation to make him simply charming. His relationship with Eliza remains compelling precisely because the production never reduces it to a straightforward romantic transformation story.

Making her professional stage debut, Keziah Ibe faces the considerable challenge of one of musical theatre’s most iconic roles. She is particularly engaging in the early scenes, capturing Eliza’s humour, resilience and determination with confidence. As the role moves into the more complex stages of Eliza’s journey, some elements of that development feel less fully realised than the production’s many other strengths. However, Ibe remains a compelling stage presence, and her clear soprano voice and evident potential suggest a performer with an exciting future ahead.

Around them, the supporting cast adds considerable texture. Tony Jayawardena brings warmth and gentle humour to Colonel Pickering, providing a contrast to Higgins’ more abrasive personality. Belinda Lang is excellent as Mrs Higgins, elegant and quietly commanding when dealing with her son’s behaviour. Finty Williams adds grounded practicality as Mrs Pearce, while Ben Culleton gives Freddie Eynsford-Hill unexpected charm, particularly in “On the Street Where You Live”.

Peter McKintosh’s set and costume designs capture the changing worlds and social divisions of Edwardian society, from the bustle and individuality of Covent Garden to the controlled elegance of Ascot and the Embassy Ball. Higgins’ study dominates the thrust stage as both workplace and battleground for the central relationship, while economical staging, lighting and carefully chosen props allow other locations to emerge. Stephen Mear’s choreography brings each setting vividly to life, from the exuberant Cockney street sequences to the precision of Ascot and the elegance of the Embassy Ball. Under Cat Beveridge’s musical direction, the fourteen-piece orchestra brings warmth and richness to Lerner and Loewe’s enduring score.

Beautifully staged and driven by Lerner and Loewe’s unforgettable score, Kavanaugh’s revival reminds us why My Fair Lady has endured for almost seventy years. Beneath the elegance and humour is a story that continues to question whether transformation comes from changing how others see you or from discovering your own sense of self. While the central journey does not always achieve the emotional complexity it promises, this remains a production full of theatrical confidence, energy and affection for a musical whose questions about class, ambition and the price of reinvention remain surprisingly relevant.

QUADROPHENIA, A MOD BALLET

Sadler’s Wells Theatre

★★★★★

“A truly triumphant interpretation – poignant and powerful.”

When Pete Townshend wrote the rock opera “Quadrophenia”, released back in 1973, he felt that The Who, as a band, was ‘lost’ and that the whole process of recording the double album ‘helped us find our way’ (his words). The central character is partly a reflection of this, but also a brilliant description – and representation – of the mid 1960s as seen through the eyes of a young man searching for meaning in a world filled with disillusionment. It has become a rock opera, a film and a classical opera. Now, as a ballet over half a century later, it maintains its relevance without the slightest hint of modernising it aesthetically or culturally. We are fully immersed, not just in pure nostalgia, but also the sheer beauty of the performances, the backdrop and the cinematic orchestral arrangements of the music.

Opening with crashing waves against a solitary rock, we see Jimmy alone on the outcrop, swiftly joined by his four personalities who move like the waves – like sirens luring him into the waters below. But Jimmy chooses the route back to his dissatisfied life. Paris Fitzpatrick is extraordinary as the young mod, Jimmy, barely away from the vast stage for a second, leading us and the other dancers through the tempestuous twists of his journey. The performers need little guidance, however. Each one is a leader in their own right: the Tough Guy, the Romantic or the Hypocrite; the Godfather, the Ace Face, the Mod Girl, the Rocker. Or the shell-shocked parent. Directed by Rob Ashford, every step is meticulously clear while Yeastculture.org’s panoramic video projections seamlessly carry us from place to place on Christopher Oram’s simple yet fluid set.

Steeped in symbolism, the emotional impact is compelling. We are constantly distracted from intellectual appreciation. The characterisation is as integral as the virtuosity of the dancers. When Fitzpatrick’s Jimmy meets his childhood friend (Euan Garrett), now a Rocker, the couple’s inner conflicts are vividly evoked in every movement. Paul Roberts’ choreography throughout is at once original and recognisable, athletic and intimate, violent and tender. It refuses categorisation; ballet moves swaying into jazz, contemporary, a touch of street. The impurity is vital to Roberts’ telling of the story. Jimmy’s parents, and his relationship with them, only need a few dance steps to give us the full picture. Stuart Neal and Kate Tydman – as the father and mother – attract and repel in gorgeous tarantellas, erotic and violent, bleeding into the Father’s traumatic memories of WWII (a disturbing yet perfectly glorious ensemble routine).

And, of course, we have the love interest: Serena McCall’s Mod Girl, sassy and sexy, moving within and without the yearning reach of our ‘quadrophenic’ protagonist. The charismatic rival, the Ace Face, is a constant threat – a swaggering and commanding Dan Baines, while Matthew Ball’s rock star figure, the Godfather, is a stark reminder to Jimmy never to meet your idol. A self-deprecating moment deliberately referencing The Who’s status in the seventies that has survived intact to the present day. This attention to detail surfaces in waves of nostalgia, that some may not fully appreciate. You have to be a true Londoner to feel the full dewy-eyed force of designer Oram’s recreation of Soho’s ‘New Piccadilly Café’. Authenticity is a keyword here, which is certainly amplified by Paul Smith’s sharp costumes.

The driving force is the music, orchestrated by Rachel Fuller (and Martin Batchelar). Faithful to Townshend’s original rock numbers, Fuller has scored the music for a full symphony orchestra. The electric rock rhythms of guitars and bass occasionally burst through, but elsewhere the vocal melodies and guitar solos are searing violins, aching cellos, rich double-basses or horn sections. Entirely instrumental, you can still at times hear Roger Daltrey’s voice surfing the multi-layered melody lines. Like the dancing, it is grand but far from precious. With both you could just as easily be in the Albert Hall or the sweaty dark of Wardour Street’s Marquee Club. Another landmark sadly gone. “Quadrophenia” harks back to another time that some say is long dead, but this ballet drags it alive and kicking into the present. It resonates unmistakably without any concession to the twenty-first century. It doesn’t need it. The essence is all there – in the dance and in the music.

When ‘Quadrophenia’ was first released, Pete Townshend probably had no idea of its legacy. Although he has since stated that The Who ‘never recorded anything so ambitious or audacious again’. “Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet” is just as (maybe even more so) ambitious and audacious, even by today’s standards. A truly triumphant interpretation – poignant and powerful.

Tag Archives: Zack Guest

MY FAIR LADY

★★★★

Chichester Festival Theatre

MY FAIR LADY

Chichester Festival Theatre

★★★★

“a production full of theatrical confidence, energy and affection”

MY FAIR LADY

Chichester Festival Theatre

Reviewed on 15th July 2026

by Ellen Cheshire

Photography by Johan Persson

MY FAIR LADY

MY FAIR LADY

MY FAIR LADY

QUADROPHENIA, A MOD BALLET

★★★★★

Sadler’s Wells Theatre

QUADROPHENIA, A MOD BALLET

Sadler’s Wells Theatre

★★★★★

“A truly triumphant interpretation – poignant and powerful.”