My Fair Lady | Mill at Sonning

This winter season, Mill at Sonning brings Joseph Pitcher back to revive his previous production of My Fair Lady, bringing a heartwarming nostalgic feeling to the building from top to bottom. Pitcher takes on the challenge of bringing a show that has flown to the greatest heights of fame since its opening on Broadway almost 70 years ago back to a small scale, and the risk greatly pays off in this intimate venue. Despite having no direct link to Christmas - this wholesome spirit and the refreshing revival of Golden Age theatre certainly gives the spirit of the season, and this production falls nowhere near failing to uplift audiences and let us leave feeling joyous.

There is an undeniable charm in watching this era of musical theatre revived in a variety of contexts, and the Mill at Sonning is not to be underestimated as a venue for these revivals, nor Lerner and Loewe to be scoffed at as a creative duo of the era. Loewe’s distinctive and colourful composition is taken in an exciting direction under supervision and arrangement of Charlie Ingles, and Musical Direction of Nick Tudor, who both handle the score with evident respect for the original work when adapting it for this space, resulting in something delightfully new that doesn’t lose its necessary components.

With only four musicians supporting the cast off stage, limited numbers in the orchestra does not at all limit the impact of the score during the show - in fact each number remains dynamic and full of elegant ease with a new breath of life in them under fresh arrangement, especially with three actor-musicians in the cast bringing the music directly into the scene (as perhaps is most fitting for a score such as this).

Also most wonderfully fitting to the score was the work of co-choreographers Pitcher and Alex Christian, who create an achingly beautiful response to the music they’ve been given with dance numbers you will never want to stop watching, except perhaps to satiate the urge to join in that the score and choreography together provokes. The ensemble takes on each movement with complete commitment to the detail of the steps, whether it be performed with dream-like qualities and elegant yearning, or completely contrastingly in raucous and sprightly numbers that ignite the whole auditorium with fun and boundless energy. Led by Dance Captain Imogen Bailey, who seems to live in the fine tuned details of each movement and is the most utter delight to watch perform the choreography as she brings it to new levels on stage - it’s impossible for her passion to not spread to the audience and bring a smile as she dances through the show, and with her leading the ensemble it is no wonder the shows movement is kept at the high standard the choreographers intended.

The aforementioned performers are not just doubling up as musical accompaniment and dancers - the whole ensemble take on a wide variety of characters throughout the show, with many also playing significant supporting roles. Most notable as supporting characters were recent graduate Alfie Blackwell as lovesick youth Freddie Eynsford-Hill, and Mark Moraghan as Alfred P. Doolittle, with both also being in the ensemble of many scenes. Blackwell firmly holds his own amongst the seasoned professionals in the cast, giving a sweet, innocent performance that evokes a feeling of tender pity from the audience as we watch him pine for Eliza. Through both contrasting renditions of his solo number, Blackwell demonstrates confidence in performance for the era, a gentle light tone of voice oozing with character that brings him to the perfect level to act as comedy relief, without losing the reality of his emotions and infatuation, ultimately creating a character it’s near impossible to not feel affectionate towards.

Moraghan similarly takes on a comedic role in the show, but proud low-life Alfred Doolittle holds much less apprehension about being utterly ridiculous as he revels in his status, or lack-thereof. With expert craftsmanship for creating a loveable character, Moraghan holds complete command of each scene he features in, leading riotous ensemble numbers without a step or word falling out of place - his Act 2 number Get Me to the Church on Time being one of the biggest stand-out moments in the show.

Leading the production is Nadim Naaman as Henry Higgins, and Simbi Akande as Eliza Doolittle, together creating a tight tension that urges the characters on through the story. Naaman and Akande play the delicate balance between the two well, with a particularly harsh and abrupt portrayal of the aloof gentleman Henry taunting a pervasively abrasive Eliza in ways that make the audience sympathise for both characters. Naaman stands out as another highly talented performer in the cast, handling the characters intentions and reactions with specificity and a clear understanding of every decision he makes both as a character and as an actor. He conveys Henry’s love for the English language with such dedication that makes it clear there is a justification for his callousness towards Eliza and many others, despite what we may think of it as audience members, and gives the character emotional depth before even showing his more vulnerable side later in the show.

Akande shows impressive contrast as both the street-worn, rugged version of Eliza and later as a more refined version of the character. Despite this, Eliza’s intelligence and power is never underestimated throughout, though she may have different levels of influence, Akande never fails to show her headfast resilience and dedication to getting what she knows she wants. Although some moments in the performance felt slightly lackluster or intentional melodrama taking away some authenticity from the performance, generally there is a high level of energy from her and the character's journey is handled perfectly appropriately. Vocally, Akande gives an impressive performance with a soaring, classical soprano tone of voice, and brilliant attention to detail in singing in different accents (supported by the productions dialect coach Liz Flint, who has done a fantastic job across the board) with the right adjustments to change her voice without losing important aspects of the character.

Finally, credit must go to set designer Diego Pitarch and costume designer Natalie Titchener for each of their respective design elements in the production - a crucial part of drawing out the nostalgia of a classic show such as this. Pitarch’s set design features a beautiful old-fashioned backdrop with use of curtains drawing in and out to impact the space, and various set pieces and backdrop moving in and out to show distinct and lovingly architected locations. Titchener’s costumes plant us firmly in the era of the show and highlight the most important aspect of the show - the class divides between the characters - without being generic or inconsiderate of the individuality of each character. Both design elements are clearly done with the utmost love for the designer's craft, with layers of detail and individuality that make the audience comfortable in the setting of the show and bring a level of grandiosity expected of the show to a small intimate venue, making it all feel more personal to those in the auditorium at the time.

The Mill at Sonning's production of My Fair Lady is a visually stunning delight packed with enchanting performances and an overhanging feeling of festive joy and heartwarming nostalgia, taking full advantage of both the advantages and limitations of the space to turn every aspect of the production into something exciting.

My Fair Lady plays at the Sonning Mill until 17th January 2026.

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★★★★★ (5*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Pamela Raith