Nearly eighteen months after it was originally meant to be performed, Oxford Operatic Society’s (OXOPS) production of My Fair Lady finally hit the stage.
Like many performances throughout the pandemic, this show by OXOPS suffered postponement, rearrangement and rescheduling. The show, which was meant to be performed in May 2020, only finally saw the stage lights in December 2021.
The on-going impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the theatre sector is absolutely undeniable. Professional runs were halted, amateur theatre troops were unable to rehearse, Zoom performances became the norm and audiences went many, many months without the thrill of being inside a venue.
The changing nature of the virus, and the Government’s response to it, means the arts have been in a state of uncertainty since the beginning of the pandemic. Often the first venues to close and the last to reopen, theatres have been faced with some of the most stringent restrictions.
This fact was only emphasised during my visit to the New Oxford Theatre to see My Fair Lady, as it was the same day new restrictions on mask wearing in theatres were – once again – announced.
Being masked up to see a show is still a bizarre experience but one I have come to accept it if means the theatres will remain open. Something I am sure the OXOPS actors are also hopeful of, following the show’s many delays.
My Fair Lady is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s film. It tells the story of poor Cockney flower-girl, Eliza Doolittle, who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady.
Frankie Alexandra, director of OXOPS My Fair Lady, described the show as “honour” to produce and “everything you could want from a musical” given its fun songs and parrels to contemporary society.
She said: “My Fair Lady encompasses everything you could want from a musical, and more: truth, comedy, heartache, empowerment, show-stopping songs, parallels to modern day, and a story of morality.
“A musical is more than a good sing-song and boogie in the aisles. Theatre gives us all the ability to be whisked away for a few hours into a world of love, laughter, truth and excitement. This musical has the ability to connect with people on a personal level.
“There are significant messages which address serious issues of the time – some of which are present in today’s society. This makes the show relatable, and such an honour to produce.”
Although set in Edwardian London prior to World War I, the societal divisions between the classes in My Fair Lady are keenly echoed in 2021.
The economic repercussions of Covid-19 have seen Britain’s wealth gap swell. More than 700,000 people have been pushed into poverty while dichotomously the number of billionaires in the UK grew by 24 per cent.
Be Cockney flower-girls, people with £20 cut from their Universal Credit, the elites at Ascot or billionaire owners of multinational companies, the divisive context of My Fair Lady remains ever relevant.
Taking on the iconic role of Eliza Doolittle in the show was Danielle Shore, who joined OXOPS in 2015.
Eliza Doolittle is one of the most well-known characters from musical theatre’s ‘Golden Age’ and, with actresses such as Audrey Hepburn and Julia Andrews connected to the part, it is no mean feat.
Shore took the role in her stride and made for an exceptionally believable, and likable, Eliza Doolittle.
Her transformation from Cockney flower girl to high society lady was effortless, making her performances of ‘Wouldn't It Be Loverly?’, ‘Just You Wait’ and ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ extremely enjoyable.
With his humorous and scathing remarks, Edward Blagrove’s arrogant Henry Higgins was a crowd pleaser.
Blagrove delivered his lines with such effortless scorn and wit that you could not help but dislike Henry and reveal in delivery at the same time.
His line: “Every night before you go to bed, where you used to say your prayers… l want you to say: "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains”. Fifty times. You'll get much further with the Lord if you learn not to offend His ears.” was, in particular, some excellent comic delivery.
As is the nature of theatre, however, sometimes things go wrong.
During the first act the mic for Alfred P. Doolittle, played by Matthew Ledbury, kept cutting out. Although he tried his best to project, his vocals were stranded in the space and took much away from his otherwise great performance of ‘With a Little Bit of Luck’.
Ledbury pushed through and even though his voice was quiet, he kept up the energy to give the audience a fun number.
His mic was fixed come the second act and this issue, taken in context with the delays the show has faced, highlight the sheer adaptability of theatre.
Be it a technical issue or a global pandemic, the theatre world is flexible and takes such curveballs in its stride while still delivering entertainment to audiences. Oxford Operatic Society and their performance of My Fair Lady, is no different.
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