By Kate Lockyer
40 years on, the fair star of Queensland Musical Theatre’s (QMT) first production of My Fair Lady now directs a new generation playing in the show this June.
Deian Ping, artistic director of QMT’s 40th anniversary production of My Fair Lady, had her first starring role in 1984 as Eliza Dolittle, the determined cockney girl who is transformed into a lady.
“In those days they did open auditions… and all of the prospective auditionees were sitting in the audience,” Ms Ping recalled.
She said she spent all morning listening to the same song – Eliza’s well-known tune ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ – and decided to change her audition song to the feistier ‘Just You Wait’.
As chance, or fate, would have it, QMT’s current Eliza, Kirra Lang, made the same decision to sing ‘Just You Wait’ at her audition.
Ms Lang has put a lot of work into the role, researching and rehearsing the character, but said because she finds Eliza to be so interesting, she has found the process a lot of fun.
“I’m enjoying it immensely, and I’m excited for when we get into the theatre and we start doing runs; there is another level of exploration that comes with that part of the process… so many cool discoveries happen there,” she said.
The character growth throughout the show is something Ms Ping appreciated.
“Eliza is such a wonderful role because you have such the gamut. You start as this rough and tough flower girl who has to make her own way in the world… and then of course she interacts with Henry Higgins,” she said.
“She learns from him how to speak, but she learns from Colonel Pickering and Mrs Pearce how to be a lady.
“There is also her natural and innate goodness and worth that asserts itself all the time – she is not anyone’s doormat.”
James Lennox, who plays the incorrigible bachelor Professor Henry Higgins, is enjoying the challenge of playing a character whose actions are at times insensitive and indecorous, instead tapping into humanity and humour.
“He’s a character with so many different layers, and in my perception, so many different emotions that he is trying to push down and embodying that is a challenge that I’m enjoying immensely,” Mr Lennox said.
Despite the Edwardian setting, the show is far from antiquated, presenting a cast of characters and unforgettable songs that continue to make My Fair Lady a favourite.
Ms Lang said: “That’s what drew me to this show initially, was how polarising that ending was.”
“I love the vagueness and the complexity of it; everyone has their own opinion of what the ending should be, and I think that’s a great sign of a really interesting piece of art.”
My Fair Lady will play at Twelfth Night Theatre in Bowen Hills from June 14 – 23, get your tickets at queenslandmusicaltheatre.com/tickets.
