My Fair Lady

Credit: Photography - Sareta Fontaine. Alan Cox & Jennifer Louise Jones

By Lisa Wakely

The Big Top Hosts My Fair Lady at Frinton Summer Theatre

Frinton’s Greensward will welcome a fabulous production of My Fair Lady inside the Big Top Tent this summer as the 2023 season of the Frinton Summer Theatre continues.

Frinton Summer Theatre will again bring a touch of West End glitz to the east coast when this year's production of My Fair Lady comes to the famous Big Top Tent on Frinton's Greensward, 65 years after the show first opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Running from Tuesday, 22nd August until Sunday, 3rd September, this classic comedy-drama has become one of musical theatre's all-time favourites.

Based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 stage play, Pygmalion, My Fair Lady follows the fortunes of lowly cockney flower-seller Eliza Doolittle. When Eliza overhears Henry Higgins, an arrogant phonetics professor, boast how he could teach her to speak 'proper' English, she turns up at his house and challenges him to prove his point.

Their journey through the intricate conventions of English society takes them through some unexpected emotional twists that compel both the head and the heart to reconsider long-held perceptions.

It was a smash hit when it opened on Broadway in 1956 and set new records for the longest run in Broadway musical history. It won six Tony awards, including Best Musical and was shortly followed by a London production. In 1964, Warner Bros released a film adaption, which starred Audrey Hepburn as Eliza and Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins. Marni Nixon dubbed Audrey Hepburn's singing voice. The Head of Warner Bros wanted "a star with a great deal of name recognition", and so their other choice, Julie Andrews, was dropped due to not having enough film experience at the time. She later went on to star in Mary Poppins that same year. Despite the controversy, the film was considered a box-office success and won eight Oscars!

My Fair Lady at Frinton was only possible with its colossal cast of celebrated actors and Directors. A few of the team include Director Tom F Arnold, a Musical Director, Arranger and Songwriter with many credits to his name. He is the resident Musical Director of 'The Crazy Coqs Presents,' a cabaret where West End singers perform songs on different themes. Playing Eliza Doolittle is Jennifer Louise Jones, who trained at the Arts Educational Schools in London. Her theatre credits include Beauty and the Beast at The London Palladium and Funny Girl in Paris. Alan Cox is cast as Henry Higgins. You may recognise Alan if you enjoyed The King's Speech at Frinton, where he played Lionel Logue. Alan has many TV and Film credits, including Much Ado About Nothing, Young Sherlock Holmes, An Awfully Big Adventure and Midsomer Murders. Colonel Hugh Pickering will be played by Miles Richardson, who has appeared in numerous film and TV roles and our very own Clive Brill as Alfred Doolittle.

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"We are so excited to be presenting My Fair Lady in the Big Top Tent for the 2023 season of Frinton Summer Theatre. This beautiful story has a sense of magic and some of the most memorable songs in stage history. As always - you can expect a fresh approach at Frinton Summer Theatre. You really will want to dance all night!" - Clive Brill.

All evening performances are at 7.30pm, with matinee performances at 3pm on Thursday and Saturday. A signed performance on Saturday, 26th August, at 3pm is bookable via the box office only.

Tickets are priced at £35 and £40. There is a 10% discount for groups of 10 to 29 and a 15% discount for groups of 30 or more. Accessible seating is available for £35 (carers enjoy a 10% discount), while £25 day tickets are available on the day of the performance for Blue Lights card holders. 2 for 1 day tickets are also available for students presenting a valid student ID on the performance day.

Frinton Summer Theatre Contributor, Lisa Wakely, Writer. Lisa Wakely is a talented writer and performer from Essex. Her passion for writing and teaching performing arts is matched only by her adventurous spirit, which includes heart-pumping activities like skydiving and wing walking - all for raising money for charity. She's a true force to be reckoned with. Her boundless energy and unwavering determination are nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Frinton Summer Theatre 2023

Director: Clive Brill

Musical Director: Tom F Arnold

Eliza Doolittle: Jennifer Louise Jones

Henry Higgins: Alan Cox

Alfred Doolittle: Clive Brill

Colonel Hugh Pickering: Miles Richardson

Mrs Higgins: Brenda Longman

Mrs Eynsford-Hill: Andrea Miller

Freddy Eynsford-Hill: Josh St Clair

Mrs Pearce & Choreographer: Tracey Collier

Zoltan Karpathy/Ensemble: Daniel Hall

Ensemble: Alice Redmond

Ensemble: Blake Jordan

Ensemble: Charlotte Clitherow

Director’s Assistant and Ensemble: Toby Vanhaecke

Director’s Assistant and Ensemble: Bethany Hurry

You can conveniently book online at www.frintonsummertheatre.org or visit the Main Box Office at 60 Connaught Avenue. If you prefer, give them a call at 01255 775727 or send an email to Boxoffice@frintonsummertheatre.org.

Please note that discounts for the tent season are exclusively bookable at the Box Office, so be sure to visit the box office in person or contact Frinton Summer Theatre directly.

Tickets