Summary: "Tis a divided world in which we live. This creed versus that creed; highbrow versus lowbrow and so on, - ad infinitum. A major division at the present time - and one that interests us - is that the world is divided into two sections, those who have seen 'My Fair Lady' and those who haven't". This decree was the opening paragraph in the J.C. Williamson's program heralding the arrival of the musical sensation that had captured the public consciousness around the world - Lerner and Loewe's glorious musical examination of the social transformation of a young woman by a phonetics teacher - My Fair Lady In 1950's Australia the Original Cast Recording of My Fair Lady became a highly sought treasure. Families gathered at homes to 'Get to the Church on time' and 'Dance all Night' dreaming of the arrival of the show to Australian theatres - 'Wouldn't it be Loverley?' The musical was a return to graciousness and elegance on the stage; allied is the fact that it is a Cinderella story - surely theatre's surest standby. And it carries a rich source material in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Eager to replicate the productions in London and New York, the Australian Impresarios, J.C.Williamsons' imported American creatives and secured a principal cast from the UK. Williamson's had a policy at the time of preferring to cast lead players that they could bill as "direct from the West End" even if unknown. It was felt that an actor with that billing would always attract larger audiences than an Australian. Early days in the commercial theatre; but the seed for an Australian Company of players had been planted a couple of years earlier with The Pajama Game. Leading the Original Australian company of My Fair Lady was Bunty Turner. Born in Northern Ireland she had established herself as a singer of great accomplishment in U.K. productions of Free As Air, The Dancing Years and Hansel & Gretel. The original production of My Fair Lady in this country enjoyed tremendous success; so much so that a second company was launched to tour Australian capitals and New Zealand. Bunty Turner played the role of 'Eliza Doolittle' in productions throughout Australia and South Africa. What happened to Bunty at the conclusion of the show? We discover all, in this enchanting episode of STAGES with the vivacious and thoroughly engaging, Bunty Turner. The Stages podcast is available in iTunes, Spotify and Whooshkaa.
