(Photo by Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)

Heavy Hitters come out for My Fair Lady

10/10/2008
Tim Brunero

Stars come out for My Fair Lady premiere.

Bob Hawke was there. Barry Humphries was there. Miranda Otto was there. Andrew Denton was definitely there. But in a first for a Sydney red carpet for a long time at last night’s premiere of My Fair Lady, there were almost no Underbelly stars.

But whoever was or wasn’t there the assembled heavy hitters who managed to turn up showed for one reason – to see screen legend Richard E Grant as Professor Henry Higgins. And the crowd wasn’t disappointed.

Grant dazzled with his physical and surreal style, racing around the stage and driving the narrative with his barely sane depiction of the eccentric professor.

But Grant wasn’t the only actor that delighted the opening night crowd – Australian legends were also met with a rousing cheer.

Veteran TV actor John Wood was met with laughs as the musical’s eloquently selfish father Alfred P Doolittle.

And Nancye Hayes got a huge cheer when she appeared as Mrs Higgins, perhaps it was because her first ever role was in the same musical way back in 1961.

Directed by Sydney stage legend Stuart Maunder My Fair Lady is on at the Theatre Royal.

Source: LIVENEWS.com.au