The classic rags-to-riches tale of Eliza Doolittle is just as popular today as when it broke box office records on Broadway in the 1950s.
The Preston Musical Comedy Society's version of the spectacular musical, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1912 play Pygmalion, has all the right ingredients to please.
The audience is transported back to Edwardian London for three hours of captivat
ing drama and comedy, and of course, those classic songs including Wouldn't It Be Lovely, The Rain in Spain, and I Could Have Danced All Night.
Caitlin McMillan is flawless in the lead role of Eliza on her journey from Cockney flower girl to high-society 'duchess'.
Her costumes are eye-catching enough, but it is her voice which really steals the show.
A fateful meeting transports her from the cold streets of Covent Garden to the lavish home of Professor Henry Higgins (Philip May) for speech lessons.
It is here she becomes the subject of a bet between the professor and his fussy military friend Colonel Pickering (Geoff O'Hara), and the class and gender divides are brought to the fore.
Gavin Tyrrell adds a dash of humour as Eliza's dustman dad Alfred P. Doolittle, particularly with his lively rendering of With a Little Bit of Luck.
Another of the highlights is the Ascot race day scene with its elegant costumes and huge hats, all expertly choreographed by Lorna Cookson and directed by Neil Townsend.
Eliza wins the attention of gentleman Freddy Eynsford-Hill, played by Michael Bilsbrough, who later performs an excellent version of On the Street Where You Live.
The show is glued together by the non-stop accompaniment of a live orchestra, directed by Lavinia Colclough, and a hard-working backstage team who transform the set on countless occasions.
My Fair Lady runs until this Saturday, June 13.
