From the Ensemble to Eliza: Claire Lyon on returning to MY FAIR LADY

Few musicals carry the weight of legacy that My Fair Lady does. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Lerner and Loewe’s classic has been enchanting audiences since its Broadway debut in 1956 — and now it’s returning to Australia in one of the most anticipated productions in recent memory. Directed by Dame Julie Andrews — who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in that very first Broadway run — it arrives carrying the authority of living history, shaped by someone who knows this show from the inside out.

The production opens at the Sydney Opera House before transferring to Melbourne’s newly renovated Ian Potter State Theatre, two of the grandest theatrical spaces in the country and fitting homes for a show of this scale. Visually, audiences can expect something special: the costumes are closely modelled on Cecil Beaton’s iconic original designs, whose black-and-white Ascot sequence remains one of the most striking images in musical theatre history. Add Lerner and Loewe’s irresistible score, and you have all the ingredients for a genuine event.

At the centre of it all is Eliza Doolittle: a Cockney flower girl of fierce spirit and sharp wit, and one of the great roles in the musical theatre canon. Stepping into her shoes is Claire Lyon, one of Australia’s most celebrated performers. Best known to audiences for her acclaimed portrayal of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Lyon has built a career spanning opera, musical theatre, and concert performance at the highest levels of the industry.

Her connection to My Fair Lady, though, runs particularly deep. It was the show that launched her professional career — she appeared in Opera Australia’s 2008 production as a young ensemble member, taking her first steps with the company. Now, nearly two decades later, she returns to the same show and the same company, this time as Eliza herself. For Lyon, it is a homecoming in every sense of the word.

This show holds particular significance for you — can you tell us about your history with My Fair Lady?

Claire: It’s so special. This show really does hold a special place in my heart. It was my first show in 2008, my first musical with Opera Australia. And going back — I haven’t worked with Opera Australia in about ten years, aside from briefly filling in for Phantom in 2022, I think it was — yeah, it feels lovely coming back to the company, and in particular performing such a meaty role. It feels like I’m coming home, and it’s certainly incredibly exciting.

You’ve played some significant roles over your career, including Christine in Phantom. How does Eliza compare?

Claire: Oh, good question. It is the most substantial role I will have played. Her on-stage time is far greater than Christine — I think she’s on stage for about 85% of the show. And there’s a lot more dialogue. Christine is mostly just singing with a little bit of dialogue here and there, and while that is vocally probably a little more challenging with high notes and that sort of thing, with Eliza there’s a much greater transition from the beginning to the end of the show. And I love her as a character. She’s just so open and vulnerable and says what she thinks — no filter, in a way. She just doesn’t care that Higgins is a gentleman and is older than her. She tells it how it is.

And this production comes with an extraordinary creative pedigree — Dame Julie Andrews is directing. What does that mean to you?

You’ve just hit the nail on the head. It is something else. It’s totally surreal. I mean, to think that I’ll be in her production — someone who I admired, and who everyone admired, growing up watching in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music — is just surreal. And yeah, to know that I’ll be getting her knowledge from the original Broadway production is crazy, and I’m just so grateful and thankful. Yeah, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

My Fair Lady has endured for decades — from novel to stage to screen and back again. Why do you think audiences keep coming back to this story?

Oh, there’s a number of reasons. First of all, the music — there are so many great and wonderful pieces that have come from the show. Not just that Eliza sings, but that Alfred Doolittle, her father, sings. So many fantastic ensemble numbers, the famous Ascot scene. And a lot of it too has to do with the costuming by Cecil Beaton, who designed the original costumes on Broadway. He designed the costumes for the movie, and the costumes I’ll be wearing — and the whole cast will be wearing — are going to be closely modelled off what he originally designed. So it’s a real feast for the eyes. And I think everyone remembers that famous Ascot scene from the movie where they’re all in the black and white, and the choreography and direction is just so striking. And the characters themselves — the script is so cleverly written and so witty. It’s a story of an underdog character, being Eliza, and even her father in a way. And they’re just so lovable. I feel like audiences really root for them and want them to have success in their lives.

The cast is quite something — some real legends of Australian musical theatre alongside exciting newcomers. How are you feeling about the company you’ll be working with?

Yes, I am. I got a lovely message from Reg Livermore the other day, who was of course in the 2008 production as Higgins for the first half of the tour. So that was lovely. And some old faces that I’ve worked with before many times. But yeah, it’ll be lovely to meet some new faces and get to know those people that I haven’t yet met or worked with. And it’s always such a nice feeling on day one when everyone’s meeting each other for the first time, and you sort of get to run through the show, and by the end of a run you’re like a family. And there’s no greater kind of camaraderie than being all part of the same production.

Do you see any of yourself in Eliza? Will there be some of Claire in this performance?

I guess some similarities are that I’m a very open book — I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m not afraid of being vulnerable. There are some similarities between Eliza and myself, and the script, in a way, just feels quite natural to me. It’s so well written that it doesn’t feel strange to try and get my tongue around some of the wording. It just feels quite natural — and I don’t know whether that’s also because my grandparents moved to Australia from north London, so the accent is pretty familiar to me already. I’m just going to do what I do and let the director, Karen Johnson Mortimer, and Julie Andrews mould me into whatever they want Eliza to be, in a way.

Why should audiences come and see My Fair Lady?

Well, you’re guaranteed to have a wonderful night at the theatre. Full stop. We’ve got such a talented cast and company. It’s just going to be a wonderful night out for anyone, really. And no doubt people will be leaving the show singing the songs and reminiscing on what they’ve just seen.

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My Fair Lady plays at The Sydney Opera House from September, before touring to Melbourne’s State Theatre in November.

For tickets and more information, visit myfairladythemusical.com.au

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Header image by Benny Capp