Though I wanted to see this, I wasn’t prepared to pay the inflated prices for a decent seat. Then an acceptable stalls offer turned up; I have no willpower. It’s another Lincoln Centre transfer, hot on the heels of the overly reverential 2018 The King & I, with Bartlett Sher at the helm, also currently represented in the West End with To Kill A Mockingbird, It exceeded my expectations, particularly because it got to the heart of Shaw’s story, hiding behind all those lovable cockneys. The staging of the second act scene back at Higgins’ home after the ball is masterly in underlining this.
I won’t bother with the story; anyone who doesn’t know it must have been in hiding or hibernation. What it brings out more than other productions is the arrogance and inhumanity of Higgins’ experiment to turn a flower seller into a Duchess and then ignore her whilst he’s celebrating his triumph. The success in doing this owes much to the casting. Harry Hadden-Paton, a musicals virgin if his biography is to be believed, is a revelation as Henry, bringing a more youthful, animated interpretation, most importantly with zero emotional intelligence. Malcolm Sinclair is the perfect sidekick as Colonel Pickering, more benevolent with genuine affection for Eliza. Amara Okereke has already wowed in very different leading roles in Oklahoma & The Boyfriend and here she gives another wonderful performance as a more defiant, feisty Eliza.
If the last year has taught us regular theatregoers anything, it’s that understudies and alternates don’t mean you are shortchanged. On the night I went to see this Adam Vaughan replaced Stephen K. Amos as Doolittle, Heather Jackson covered for Vanessa Redgrave as Mrs Higgins and Annie Wensack stood in for Maureen Beattie as Mrs Pearce, and all three acted like they’ve owned these roles from the outset. Michael Yeargan’s sets are a bit conservative and look a touch dated, but they do make the piece flow seamlessly through it’s many scene changes. Catherine Zuber’s costumes are sumptuous and her hats for the Ascot scene a joy to behold.
It’s unquestionably the best of the 8 shows Lerner & Loewe did together. Their five big hits – Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, Camelot, Gigi and this – were very diverse, sometimes bizarre material for musical theatre. It’s 21 years since the last London production of MFL at the NT, transferring to the West End (I even managed to see Martine McCutcheon’s Eliza; many didn’t!) though there was a brilliant small scale revival at The Mill at Sonning just under 5 years ago. This is a lot better than Sher’s The King & I and gave me a new perspective on an old show. I’m really glad that offer came through. Look out for one yourself.
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 
I enjoyed the musical but I did feel a little irked by Eliza’s expectation that Higgins should feel something for her, or want something more with her, after he was through training her. I felt as though it should have been obvious to Eliza from the start that she was a mere project to Higgins. In Act 1, it felt like she was okay being treated that way as long as she could learn what she wanted to. To demand something more from him in the end and to give him a hard time for not delivering what she wanted – it felt rather childish.
I am glad you got a great seat. I made the mistake of buying an upper circle corner seat in the absolute last row. The Coliseum is a rather large theatre so my seat felt like it was a mile away from the stage. All the squinting I had to do made it a little difficult to engage with the musical fully. I wish I had held out for an offer for a nicer seat.