Pygmalion

I have seen the musical ‘My Fair Lady’ many times and have also taken part in it so it was interesting to see the George Bernard Shaw play on which it was based. 

The musical is a light- hearted version of what was actually quite a chilling story of the two men, Higgins and Pickering using a young woman as a project to work on and also to make a bet on the outcome. Higgins is not the rather benevolent if occasionally irascible Professor, as in the musical, but a cold-hearted man with very little understanding or sensitivity in regard to human beings, particularly those less fortunate in their education or standing. It also begs the question as to whether or not he would have been as hurtful or derisory had he offered to help a young man in the same way. In this day and age the play has chilling undertones of coercion and manipulation.

The set was good and adapted easily and convincingly from Professor Higgins’ study where the twin bookcases looked most realistic, into Mrs Higgins’s drawing room with the pair of French windows. Both of the rooms were well dressed and there was good attention to detail in the drawing room with the curtain ties and seat fabric matching and the overall theme of green and pink.

Kirk Johnston played Professor Higgins strongly and as Eliza, Florence was excellent. I did find the whiny voice very grating at the start, no doubt as it was supposed to be, but when her diction became clearer, thanks to Professor Higgins coaching in order to make her acceptable in society, she was a joy to watch.

As Colonel Pickering, Matt was very good and had the presence of a retired military man. His every word could be heard. He was on stage a lot of the time and sometimes had little to say, but he lost none of his character or focus whilst he was listening to the others,

Vicki was superb as Mrs Higgins. She looked the part and her accent was perfect.

Suzie Dawes made a convincing housekeeper and as Mrs Pearce her reactions to the unusual situation within the household were nicely pointed.

When Alfred Doolittle came on stage the tempo of the play changed completely. He was a larger-than -life character and Roy Searle was splendid. He did need a number of prompts in the second act but that didn’t detract from his overall performance.

Mrs Heynsford-Hill and her daughter Clara, played respectively by Ali Johnston-Ralph and Belinda Doyle were delightfully upper class and stuffy as was Dominic in the role of Freddy.

Savanna Jacobs acquitted herself well as the Parlour Maid and bystander, and as the other Bystanders, Tom and Simone also contributed to the play.

Direction by Sarah was very good and I particularly liked the setting of characters in the Drawing Room - there was good movement around the stage. In Act Two the scene between Colonel Pickering and Eliza was especially good and the dramatic scene between Eliza and Higgins was also praiseworthy. The opening in front of the tabs, with the two Church columns and entrances into the auditorium from the side room, worked well. The lady’s costumes were wonderfully contrasting colours and made for a particularly attractive scene in the drawing room.  

Costumes were appropriate, except that the men would not have been wearing modern leather belts to hold up their trousers and Higgins’s Chelsea style boots needed a shine. Matt’s three-piece suit looked great.

The back-stage crew worked quickly and efficiently and it was interesting to watch them at work as part of the production.

Lighting was good and props were suitable.

Your programme cover is striking and of good quality – I like the coloured photos. It contains all the necessary information regarding the play and an interesting Note from the Director

Thank you for inviting me to see ‘Pygmalion’. I enjoyed it very much.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.