My Fair Lady (Nottingham Operatic Society)
One of the ever popular musicals for amateur societies and it's fair to say that there was very little that could be classed as 'amateur' about this production by a society with a major reputation and an accomplished cast and crew.
Leading by example are Katie Taylor as Eliza Dolittle and Simon Theobald as Professor Henry Higgins, both exemplary performances in acting style, characterisation and musicality with facial expressions that enhanced the experience significantly for the audience.
Comedy is not down to 'a little bit of luck' you can either be comedic or you can't and Ian Pottage certainly can as Alfred P Doolittle, ably assisted by Chris Sims as Jamie and Paul Johnson as Harry. This isn't really a laugh out loud musical but, one could certainly feel the rise of a chuckle when these three guys entered the acting area.
Belying his true age, I'm sure, was Rob Harrison as Colonel Hugh Pickering, stiff upper lip, classical accent for an ex military man and acting perfectly as the foil for Higgins when it come to dealing with the ladies, be it Eliza or Mrs Higgins (played exquisitely by Linda Croston, at one point I thought we had transferred to the movie set of 1964 and I was watching Dame Gladys Cooper again).
Drew Dennis's typically upper class and joyfully sniggering Freddy Eynsford-Hill and Adele Lee's highly sensible (even in the face of Higgins want for her to 'wallop' Eliza with a broom) Mrs Pearce are further examples of really tremendous stage presence.
Take a talented society, couple it with a timeless script and score, put them under control of a skilled Director/Choreographer in Morven Harrison and Musical Director in Stephen Williams and you have a recipe for musical theatre success.
It's sad that the run is now over and I can't imagine a single audience member left the Theatre Royal in Nottingham without a smile on their face, so keep an eye out for future performances to be enthralled and entertained in the same way.
Nottingham Operatic Society Web Site
Leading by example are Katie Taylor as Eliza Dolittle and Simon Theobald as Professor Henry Higgins, both exemplary performances in acting style, characterisation and musicality with facial expressions that enhanced the experience significantly for the audience.
Comedy is not down to 'a little bit of luck' you can either be comedic or you can't and Ian Pottage certainly can as Alfred P Doolittle, ably assisted by Chris Sims as Jamie and Paul Johnson as Harry. This isn't really a laugh out loud musical but, one could certainly feel the rise of a chuckle when these three guys entered the acting area.
Belying his true age, I'm sure, was Rob Harrison as Colonel Hugh Pickering, stiff upper lip, classical accent for an ex military man and acting perfectly as the foil for Higgins when it come to dealing with the ladies, be it Eliza or Mrs Higgins (played exquisitely by Linda Croston, at one point I thought we had transferred to the movie set of 1964 and I was watching Dame Gladys Cooper again).
Drew Dennis's typically upper class and joyfully sniggering Freddy Eynsford-Hill and Adele Lee's highly sensible (even in the face of Higgins want for her to 'wallop' Eliza with a broom) Mrs Pearce are further examples of really tremendous stage presence.
Take a talented society, couple it with a timeless script and score, put them under control of a skilled Director/Choreographer in Morven Harrison and Musical Director in Stephen Williams and you have a recipe for musical theatre success.
It's sad that the run is now over and I can't imagine a single audience member left the Theatre Royal in Nottingham without a smile on their face, so keep an eye out for future performances to be enthralled and entertained in the same way.
Nottingham Operatic Society Web Site
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