Pygmalion

George Bernard Shaw was a visionary and although he lived over 100 years ago, was a man for all times. Of all the many plays he wrote ‘Pygmalion’ is probably his most famous and with no small thanks to Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe who turned it into “My Fair Lady.” I wondered where the word Pygmalion came from so I looked it up and found: “Shaw took his title from the ancient Greek legend of the famous sculptor named Pygmalion who could find nothing good in women, and, as a result, he resolved to live out his life unmarried. However, he carved a statue out of ivory that was so beautiful and so perfect that he fell in love with his own creation.” You live and learn!

The sets were very cleverly constructed to double as Higgins’ house and then that of his mother. Well done to the backstage crew who needed to be swift to change all the furniture in the different scenes. Costumes, on the whole, were good for the period, but modern police helmets? Some of the ladies skirt lengths could have been longer. Lighting was absolutely fine although it was a pity you couldn’t have had a rain effect for the opening scene for a more authentic atmosphere.

I am sure everybody is familiar with the story of the flower girl taken in hand by phonetics expert Professor Higgins and bets his friend Colonel Pickering that he can pass her off as a Lady within six months. And by George he does it! But all is not well as her triumph goes unappreciated by Higgins, she berates him and leaves to take refuge in his mother’s house. When he comes after her, he is berated again, this time by his mother and he goes into a sulk. When Liza does appear she is now a confident, independent woman.

This was the insight of Shaw, writing about the wrongs perpetrated upon women. Sophie Knight as Liza did justice to every one of his words with great passion. Anthony Eglinton as Higgins played the role not as the regal snob we are more familiar with but as a petulant, spoiled single man who lacks the genteel nature that Liza now craves. The chemistry between the two is volatile but we so want them to ‘get together’. Colonel Pickering played in true gentlemanly fashion by David Bacon, treats Liza like a lady, never forgetting his manners. But it is Alan Round as the ‘undeserving‘ wretch Alfred Doolittle, who steals the show. Undergoing a rapid transformation, like his daughter, telling us in great detail that he must now succumb to ‘middle class morality’, including marriage, switching from his Dustman’s clothes to top hat and tails. Sandy Hume as Henry’s mother and Anna Wood as Mrs. Pearce were well cast as were James Bruce who played the immature Freddy Eynsford, smitten with Liza, his mother Mrs Eynsford (Deborah Berger-North) and his sister Clara Eynsford (Susie Woods). Although not mentioned by name the rest of the cast played a very important role and with great direction from Keith Harper, helped this fresh production of ‘Pygmalion’ show off Shaw and the actors at their best.

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