What makes Bartlett Sher’s ... production exciting is clear: two lead performances. Almost everything else, unfortunately, is problematic. Conductor Gareth Valentine has a hugely luxurious 36-piece band ... [that is] badly muddied by the baffling decision to smother them with orchestral amplification.
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Sher's WD40-approach to what is often a rusty and cantankerous musical has gelled well in places. The contemporary pertinence is hard to avoid – the patronising and privileged ... [is] ignorant. The break-out star, as well she should be, is Amara Okereke's Eliza ... a performer who is primed to leave her mark on the theatre world.
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This classic musical is back in this English National Opera revival that brings out the joy of this show and presents it in exactly the way it was always envisioned. This light and fluffy musical does have its sincere moments but don’t expect anything too groundbreaking
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The musical has a feel-good appeal; it’s the kind to watch when you’re looking for a nice endearing character to love and root for. The music is lovely, as are the props and setting. However, once you get used to the humour, things started to get a bit predictable.
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There are elements of this production that feel underpowered. Michael Yeargan’s eye-catching picture-book design has its snags. I wasn’t persuaded that Stephen K Amos as Eliza’s feckless pa was at home at a knees-up. [But Amara] Okereke flowers into magnificence.
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Amara Okereke absolutely smashes it in Bartlett Sher’s joyful staging. Sher manages [to showcase a fresh production of the show] and has surely also turned Okerere from a promising actress into a bona fide star.
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Bartlett Sher’s production is slick and accomplished, but loses the narrative's subtlety in a crowd-pleasing burst of top-hatted kitsch. This production will just about satisfy its fans, without offering enough to win over sceptics.
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It is solidly performed all round but characterless and sedate. Funny moments ... never really catch fire. The chemistry between Higgins and Eliza never kicks in. Could it be that this Disneyfied Englishness is simply built to win the hearts, and wallets, of West End tourists or is that too cynical?
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