My Fair Lady usually brings to mind the 1964 film version, which respected Bolton film buff Leslie Halliwell described as "a cold transcription of a stage success", although it won an Academy Award as best picture.
Walmsley's version, directed with some style by Audrey Raistrick, was anything but cold, though it did parallel the film in at least on respect - Vicki Smith played Eliza Doolittle very much in the manner of Audrey Hepburn. Eliza as a flower girl - as played by both Smith and Hepburn - spoke in almost incomprehensible cockney, which is as it should be.
After training by the stuffy elocutionist, Professor Henry Higgins, both actresses employed stilted, posh English. Vicki Smith made the transformation perfectly and, furthermore, had a pleasant singing voice. Gary Williams as Higgins was not a carbon copy of the Rex Harrison version. He cleverly made the part suit his own distinctive personality, and talked his way through his songs with excellent timing.
Nor was Alfred P Doolittle given the Stanley Holloway treatment by Paul Brennan. The latter has the lighter voice, but still managed to put over "With A Little Bit of Luck" and "Get Me To The Church On Time" in the required manner of the cockney knees-up much to the delight of last night's audience. Harry Lee played Colonel Hugh Pickering with upper-class vagueness and stamped his personality on the part. There were excellent supporting performances by Joyce Walters as Mrs Pearce, David Perks as Freddy Eynsford Hill and Joyce Richardson as Mrs Higgins, and all the smaller roles were well cast and the chorus gave sterling support.
The society's stage staff excelled themselves with the scenery. Mid-show, Professor Higgins' rooms received a well-deserved round of applause. Walmsley, yet again, has produced the top entertainment we have come to expect.
