After launching this year’s production of My Fair Lady, it’s now down to putting this production together, and that means for all cast and crew involved rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Often described as the perfect musical, this fresh, vibrant, and colourful show is certain to provide the ideal evening out for all the family.
Set in Edwardian London, Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl is in Convent Garden selling flowers where the opera patrons are waiting for cabs. She runs into young Freddie, and admonishes him for spilling her violets in the mud. She then flies into an angry outburst when she sees another man copying down her speech. The gentleman laments Eliza’s dreadful accent, explaining that he studies phonetics and declares that in six months, he could turn Eliza into a lady by teaching her to speak properly. And so the story begins. Female leading role this year will be played by Paula Short. A new face for Athlone audiences, but certainly not a new face to the stage.
Paula’s acting career began at the age of seven, since then her love of the theatre has taken her in many directions. Having many leading roles under her belt one of her favourites to date is actually Eliza in My Fair Lady. Paula has played this part once before and is delighted to have the opportunity to play it again. There’s no end to this girl’s talent. A director and choreographer, she also runs a very successful Youth Theatre Group in Loughrea, which now boasts over 200 students.
This production promises to be a very stylish one, with the pinnacle expecting to be reached in the Ascot Gavotte scene.
Here, perfectly synchronised and unhurried moves have been choreographed by local girl Niamh Donoghue for this effective scene complemented by a breathtaking parade of hats whose materials and textiles have been carefully selected and each hat made by Mark Burke who is studying fine art in GMIT. He has also spent some time in the Philip Treacy London Studio who were greatly impressed with both his skill and personality. Another entrepreneur from the west in the Millinery World, who knows. My Fair Lady runs from Saturday March 7 to Saturday March 14, inclusive. Log on to www.athlonemusicalsociety.com for more information.
