FAVOURITE FARE: Lisa Bobbert, Ralph Lawson and Frank Graham in the The Rain In Spain sequence in My Fair Lady

It's as good as being wrapped in a fleece blanket, sipping a mug of Horlicks

My Fair Lady

• Where: Playhouse Opera Theatre
• Cast: Gina Shmukler/Lisa Bobbert, Ralph Lawson, Frank Graham, Themi Venturas, Cobus Venter, Jane Ross, Michael Gritten
• Lyrics and music: Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
• Director: Ralph Lawson
• When: Until December 30
• It’s as good as being wrapped in a fleece blanket, sipping a mug of Horlicks

When The Playhouse was converted into a theatre complex in the early '80s, much of the original architecture was retained, and so there I sat, last weekend, in the same stalls, looking up at the same twinkling stars, waiting for the curtain to rise yet again on Eliza Doolittle and Professor Higgins. It felt like coming home.

Then again, it's not like we've spent 40 years wandering in a Fair Lady-less desert - it was the Playhouse's Christmas production in 2006 and much of the original cast and crew are back again, this time under the directorship of Ralph Lawson, who again plays the pompous, misogynistic Henry Higgins. Come to think of it, it's déjà vu all round: Frank Graham as Colonel Pickering, Themi Venturas as Eliza's dad, Cobus Venter as Freddie. And it doesn't stop there - Neil Stuart-Harris has whipped up the costumes again and Mark Hawkins has returned to whip the dancing into shape.

It goes without saying that the crowning glory of Durban's culture, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, is once more in the pits stirring our spirits as only live music can do.

And judging by Durban's response, jolly good thing too. Lawson has not only brought back the actors who proved to be so suited to their parts, he has also remained faithful to the original musical and the result is a whopping, great, polished production. The only truly modern twist is the remarkable sets comprising panels and backdrops, some transparent to give a sense of depth. These were a world away from conventional stage furniture and allowed for seamless and speedy set changes.

The costumes were inspired. In particular, the Ascot race meeting was a fashion extravaganza; a collection of spectacular black and white dresses, each topped with a hat that was both a work of art and engineering.

The audience - and my matinee was packed - was in an "ag shame" state of satisfaction and a demographic dream come true; tweens, teens, adults, pensioners, black, white, male, female. All delighted by the wit and the songs and the dance.

What keeps us returning to something so familiar that many of us could lip-sync faultlessly through the entire production? Could it be the triumph of the underdog that resonates on a primal level? Is it the lure of the unlikely romance where love overcomes all obstacles? Or might it be the cerebral engagement with an ever-witty and evergreen script?

Yes, yes to all that, but primarily what My Fair Lady offers to individuals who are increasingly alienated from the society in which they live is comfort, security - a sanctuary, if you will.

It's as good as being wrapped in a fleece blanket, sipping a mug of Horlicks. And that's well worth the price of a ticket.