My Fair Lady (Alcester Musical Theatre Company)

Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady I imagine will still be performed long after I stop writing about musical theatre and will no doubt still be entertaining audiences in the same way it always has, however it still needs an enthusiastic cast and crew to bring it to life and this production by Alcester Musical Theatre Company at Redditch Palace Theatre is very much in the traditional vein.

Leading the on stage performances is an emotional, passionate and highly melodic portrayal of Eliza Doolittle by Millie Coles, an exceptionally talented individual with a voice that could easily grace any professional stage.

Professor Henry Higgins is played with panache and verbal dexterity by Karl Willis alongside Jeff Gill as a wryly humorous Colonel Pickering, both actors bouncing off each other as a well oiled double-act when required.

Jamie Glenn as love interest Freddy Eynsford-Hill delivers just the right level of besottedness whilst effortlessly vocalising the classic 'On the Street Where You Live' with conviction. John Baker squeezes every comic moment as Alfred P. Doolittle ably supported by Hugh Duck and Dave Hatton as friends Harry and Jamie respectively.

Some authentic and touching performances from Ruth Hargreaves as housekeeper Mrs Pearce and Carole Corden as Mrs Higgins in addition to Malcolm Steward as a slightly older than normal Professor Zoltan Karpathy, the subtle change of line from 'greatest student' to 'greatest mature student' did not go unnoticed and definitely brought a smile to my face.

There is a relatively small stage at the Reddicth Palace Theatre and it takes some thoughtful direction from Bev Hatton and choreography from Naomi Barlow to avoid what could easily become overcrowding, especially in some of the crowd scenes with an extensive ensemble cast.

Phil Madden's Musical Direction of this well known and like score wraps up a packaged evening of really enjoyable entertainment from this company and I look forward to next year and something from a completely different era in 'Made in Dagenham'.

Only a couple of performances left of My Fair Lady, so don't miss out and get your tickets now for this production.

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