I ran out of superlatives for this barnstorming return

My Fair Lady
Mill At Sonning
Friday, November 28

ANOTHER Christmas, another Mill at Sonning musical and once again I must reach to the top shelf for my bag of superlatives.

I keep them there because I don’t use them much, but My Fair Lady is a rich entertainment and needs to be described accurately.

What a joy it is, such energy, commitment and talent almost overwhelming us on the tiny stage. Once again the best of the West End comes to the middle of the Thames at Sonning Eye.

The production is helped by having a good story, courtesy of George Bernard Shaw, and fabulous songs from Lerner and Loewe so it starts from a strong base.

But then this show takes off for the stratosphere with dance routines to rival the Strictly professionals and top-class singing — especially from Simbi Akande’s Eliza Doolittle who squeezes every ounce of sympathy from us as she’s pushed and bullied into becoming a well-spoken lady by the priggish Professor Higgins.

Higgins knows little of women and there’s a subtle hint throughout that his affections might be more directed at his new flatmate Colonel Pickering, both confirmed bachelors in the text. Nadim Naaman’s snobbish, aloof, superior Higgins is a treat and the vocals match that.

The intimate scenes between Eliza, Higgins and Pickering are handled with delicacy, even more so when any two of those are alone together. But when it comes to the ensemble playing this cast gives a full-throated roar with harmonies and movement to make your head spin with delight. They set out their stall early on with a barnstorming version of With A Little Bit Of Luck and Eliza’s father, Alfred, played by Mark Moraghan, takes centre-stage as a carousing drunk.

Despite the all-out attack the show has plenty of quiet moments and few more poignant than when Alfie Blackwell’s smitten Freddie Hill doorsteps Eliza to sing On The Street Where You Live.

Musical director Nick Tudor keeps a tight rein and is helped by three musicians acting, dancing, singing and playing in the ensemble. That is an innovation and a change from the last time My Fair Lady was performed at the Mill eight years ago. But by the looks of it director Joseph Pitcher likes to keep things moving, for it was he who delivered this show in 2017.

Back then I wrote in the Henley Standard that it was a brilliant night out and that’s not a phrase to be taken lightly. This time it’s brilliant again but by a higher order of magnitude. It runs until Saturday, January 17.

Mike Rowbottom