Normanhurst Uniting Church Musical Society: My Fair Lady - Review by Chelsea Holland

My Fair Lady has always been one of my favourite classic musicals, so for me it was worth a long train ride to see Normanhurst Uniting Church Musical Society’s production. And fortunately, they delivered with strong performances and a lot of heart!

The lead and supporting roles were all brilliantly cast. Andrew Pennycuick was a superb Henry Higgins, balancing the character’s charming and obsessive sides expertly. This is a complex role, but Pennycuick deftly navigated the arc, alone making the trip worth it. As the kids would say, no notes.

Pennycuick found his thespian equal in Christine Forbes as the quirky flower girl, Eliza Doolittle. Forbes also had to navigate extreme emotions, frequently in the same scene, and was a joy to watch. Her effortless soprano voice was lovely during songs like “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?”.

The supporting cast all had memorable moments as well. Murray Fane was an energetic and sweet Colonel Pickering, the perfect contrast to Higgins. Peter Hellier always stole his scenes as the charismatic Alfred P. Doolittle. Jane Ferrier was magnetic as Mrs. Pearce, a role that can often fade into the shadows but was kept very much alive by this standoutperformance. Sue Rowe was captivating as the witty Mrs. Higgins. Joshua Woodward was engaging as naïve Freddy-Hill with his crowd-pleasing “On the Street Where You Live.”

Every member of the ensemble also deserves a mention for their commitment. They looked like they were having the time of their lives, and I always had a smile on my face from the joy they brought to the stage. If I had any negative, it was that the stage was so small that they couldn’t do more, and the dancing had to be quite contained. On the other hand, the smaller stage worked brilliantly for the drawing room scenes, giving a greater sense of intimacy to the interactions between Henry Higgins and Eliza.

My kudos to the production team behind this gem of a production: director Warren Fisher, musical director Rebecca Hansen, choreographer Jenny Farrell, and production manager Mel Hogan. Fisher did a great job with the pacing and making sure the humour always landed. The audience (including me) was constantly laughing, smiling, and tapping their toes. It was wonderful to have a live orchestra, led by Hansen,playing the gorgeous tunes by Lerner and Loewe. Overall, there was also clearly a lot of attention to detail, which added to the success of this production.

Whether you are already a fan of My Fair Lady or someone who has not yet been introduced to this classic, it’s worth checking out NUCMS’s production before it closes on 27 September.