★★★★★
My Fair Lady has a rich history, from Bernard Shaw’s original play and Gabriel Pascal’s film Pygmalion, through Lerner and Loewe’s beloved musical adaptation and the iconic Audrey Hepburn movie. For generations, the story of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins has captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences around the world.
Now, it’s an absolute delight to see My Fair Lady grace the Sydney Opera House stage once again. Beautifully brought to life, this is a production that deserves to be savoured, and one not to be missed.
In 2016, John Frost and Opera Australia celebrated the 60th anniversary of My Fair Lady with a production that paid beautiful homage to the original, recreating its iconic costume and scenery designs.
What made that production particularly special was the involvement of the magnificent Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway in 1956. Andrews took on the role of director, bringing her own connection to this beloved musical to the production. Now, a decade later, that same production has returned with its lavish designs and timeless story once again taking centre stage.
Karen Johnson Mortimer has expertly taken the helm directing this production, and as associate director to Julie Andrews during the 2016 run, no one is more qualified to bring her direction back to the stage. You can feel the respect and adoration for the story, the characters and the rich history of the musical in every beat of this performance.
The music is glorious and soars through the theatre under the expert music direction of David Young and the incredible talent of the Opera Australia Orchestra. As a particular lover of an Overture, I have to say that this musical has one of my all-time favourites, truly transporting audiences into the story.
Choreographer Christopher Gattelli has crafted a beautiful sequence of movements that so perfectly aligns with the world. It was particularly delightful to see familiar movements and patterns across the upper-class balls and lower-class Covent Garden revelry, showing how this love of celebration is shared across levels of society.
Claire Lyon shines in the role of Eliza Doolittle. Her immaculate vocals and characterisation perfectly capture the transformation she undergoes while maintaining her heart, wit and sense of self.
Nathaniel Parker is a wonderful Professor Henry Higgins. The professor’s arrogance is brilliantly tangible in every interaction, but there is also a beautiful nuance to his character as we see moments of softness peak through as the story progresses.
Tony Llewellyn-Jones is utterly charming in the role of Colonel Pickering. It is so delightful to see the playful and gentle interactions he has with Eliza and Henry.
Alfred P. Doolittle is portrayed by the incredible Reg Livermore, who brings absolutely brilliant comedic timing, physicality and vocal characterisation to the role.
Robyn Nevin portrays Mrs Higgins with a warmth that perfectly counterbalances Henry. Yet it is also so exciting to see the strength of character and wit that she imbues into her conversations with him.
Anne Wood in the role of Mrs Pearce is delightful. She enters every scene with a sense of authority and a no-nonsense attitude that truly accentuates the absurdity of the situation in a marvellous way.
Freddy Hellier is utterly wonderful as the besotted Freddy Eynsford-Hill, depicting his blossoming love for Eliza in every moment. David Whitney as Zoltan Karpathy is also a delightful addition to the story, so strongly committing to the character and making the importance of his presence known.
The ensemble harmonies and coordinated movement are an absolute delight, lending such richness to the story both vocally and visually.
It is magnificent to see the original costume and set design from Cecil Beaton and Oliver Smith come to life. The immaculate attention to detail that has gone into every frame is extraordinary.
You could feel the awe from the audience seeing the ballroom come to life and the famous Ascot Gavotte tableau. Congratulations to the entire creative and technical team for their brilliant efforts in bringing this beautiful production to life.
My Fair Lady is a beautiful exploration of language, class and the importance of staying true to oneself. This production is a dazzling love letter to all the productions that have come before. Whether it is your first or hundredth exposure to the tale of My Fair Lady, this is absolutely a production to see.
My Fair Lady runs to 31 October at the Sydney Opera House. It then runs at the Ian Potter State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne from 14 November 2026.
Tickets for Sydney are available here and for Melbourne here.
Website: https://myfairladythemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/myfairladyaus/
Photo credits: Jeff Busby
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