Verity Power Will Join Alan Cumming in Pitlochry Festival Theatre's My Fair Lady

Scottish actress Verity Power will be Eliza Doolittle opposite the previously announced Tony winner Alan Cumming (Cabaret) as Professor Henry Higgins in the Pitlochry Festival Theatre's new chamber production of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's classic musical My Fair Lady. Directed by Olivier winner Maria Friedman (Merrily We Roll Along), performances are scheduled for November 21–December 31 at the Scotland venue. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The production will also feature designs by Tim Hatley (Life of Pi, Back to the Future) and lighting design by Neil Austin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Paddington). Power's recent theatrical credits include The Creakers, Stranger Sings, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and Zombies The Musical. In a statement Power said, "As a kid, I was completely obsessed with Audrey Hepburn and had a DVD box set of her films, with my ultimate favorite being My Fair Lady. Eliza was brash, messy, authentic, and unapologetic. Even in the face of completely reinventing her voice, grammar, manners, and looks, she drew the line by refusing to compromise her enormous heart and fighting spirit. I cannot wait to explore the complex power dynamic of Higgins and Eliza, and of course to do that with a legend like Alan Cumming is an all-time career high. The audition process with Maria Friedman was an absolute masterclass in and of itself. This woman possesses so much gold dust, and I cannot wait to soak up every ounce that she has to give.' Director Friedman added, 'I'm absolutely thrilled that Verity will be playing Eliza opposite the wonderful Alan Cumming in this exciting new production of My Fair Lady. She is bold, fearless, thrilling, with a razor-sharp wit and an authenticity and warmth that I think will make her Eliza truly special. I can't wait to get into the rehearsal room with her and for Pitlochry audiences to see her bring this extraordinary character to life.' Based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion, the tale of a flower seller who is coached to 'improve' her social standing, the musical features a book and lyrics by Lerner and music by Loewe. The work premiered on Broadway in 1956, starring Rex Harrison and making a star of a then-20-year-old Julie Andrews. The classic score introduced such Lerner and Loewe favorites as "I Could Have Danced All Night," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?," "On the Street Where You Live," "Get Me to the Church on Time," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." The work has become a classic of the musical theatre canon, getting a Best Picture Oscar-winning film adaptation starring Harrison and Audrey Hepburn in 1964, and Broadway revivals in 1976, 1981, 1993, and 2018. My Fair Lady will be the closing production of Cumming's inaugural season as artistic director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and is being presented in association with Sonia Friedman productions. Visit PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com.