Pickering Musical Society are busy rehearsing their latest musical production.
This year’s performance will be My Fair Lady - a classic and firm favourite with audiences since its first production in 1956. This will be the society’s third production of My Fair Lady, with the first being in 1985 and more recently in 2007.
My Fair Lady is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion, with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady. Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her.
The production will feature a cast of familiar faces along with newcomer Tim Tubbs playing Henry Higgins.
Tim is a regular performer from Scarborough, taking both principal roles, directing his own productions and performing in scores of concerts. T#his will be Tim’s first production with the society and we look forward to welcoming him to the Kirk Theatre.
Danielle Long will take up the role of cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle, Danielle is known to regular audiences as Principal Boy in the pantomimes, this will be her first principal role in a musical.
Danielle said “I am really enjoying rehearsals and finding the character of Eliza both challenging and fun to perform."
Society regulars Michael O’Brien, Paula Paylor and Marcus Burnside are also featuring in the cast as Colonel Pickering, Mrs Higgins and the loveable rogue Alfie Doolittle respectively.
This production is being produced and directed by resident director Luke Arnold fresh from his panto success Jack & the Beanstalk.
Luke has been producing and directing the society’s springtime musicals on a regular basis since 2010 and this years’ production will be his 10th musical with Pickering Musical Society.
Luke said: “I have always wanted to produce My Fair Lady, having first seen the production as a young man and from that moment being besotted with the characters, the music and the setting.
"This will be our first musical production since our closure due to COVID and I can’t think of a better show to come back with than this. Looking back through the archive, this will be my 10th musical production with PMS and it is becoming our biggest production to date. The set and costumes are the biggest and most challenging we have ever aimed for, and I am so lucky to have such a talented team to bring my vision to the stage”.
My Fair Lady runs from May 23 to 27 at 7.30pm with a matinee performance on Saturday 27 at 2.30pm.
Tickets are priced at £15 and are available online at www.kirktheatre.co.uk or via the Box Office on 01751 474833
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