Pygmalion

George Bernard Shaw’s classic play, Pygmalion, first premiered at Vienna’s Hofburg Theatre in 1913, and has been performed innumerable times ever since. It tells the story of the rude and haughty intellectual, Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics, who accepts a bet that simply by changing the speech of a cockney flower seller he will be able to pass her off as a duchess in six months. The play explores many varied subjects including language and speech, appearance and identity, social class and manners, education and intelligence, and femininity and gender roles. It’s a brave director and cast that take on this complexity of themes, but St Peter’s Hill Players rose to the challenge, and I am so pleased they did. Their production of Pygmalion was a wonderful afternoon of entertainment.

As a child, My Fair Lady, the musical based on Shaw’s play was one of my favourites. However, after revisiting the film in recent years, I must admit I found a few scenes difficult viewing. Some of the characterisations are problematic in today’s more enlightened times. There is no denying Eliza is not treated at all well by Professor Higgins and his misogyny is unmistakable, and it could be argued that the actor playing Henry, has the most difficult job. He is a man who undoubtedly has very little respect, and maybe even a contempt for women (well, most people in fact), and this is not a likeable character trait. Therefore, the actor must deliver Henry’s sexist comments and contemptuous remarks with enough charisma and comic timing that he becomes the character you love to hate. Kirk Bowett, who took the role of Higgins, achieved this seemingly without effort, blissfully gliding through his scenes with enviable stage presence and a twinkle in his eye. Occasionally, I felt his diction could have been crisper with sharper consonants, but this is a minor point in what was an incredibly polished performance. Kirk drew the audience in from his first entrance and kept them enthralled throughout.

Playing opposite Kirk, in the other lead role, was Briony Sparrow as Eliza Doolittle, the character who goes on the biggest journey. This is a hugely demanding part; not only does the actor have to transform from a loud-mouthed, cockney ‘guttersnipe’ to an exquisite, well-spoken lady, they must also convey the roller-coaster of emotions that accompany this transition. Briony certainly didn’t disappoint. She delivered a performance full of sincerity, humour and angst, striking the perfect balance of all three. Her broad cockney accent during the first section of the play was consistent and her enunciation was good after her character had received the speech lessons. Briony interacted well with the whole cast, however her scenes with Kirk were highlights. I have watched Briony act before on a number of occasions, indeed I have shared a stage with her, and in my opinion, this is her best performance (I have seen) to date.

Kirk and Briony were lucky enough to be supported by a strong and talented ensemble of character actors. Paul Keenan was warm and amiable as Colonel Pickering in what was a wonderfully understated performance. Karen Willoughby, as Mrs Pearce the housekeeper, was suitably stern and brusque but skilfully balanced these with a softer, more kind-hearted side. Andy Masters, in the role of Alfred Doolittle, brought energy and effervescence to the stage with his dynamic portrayal. The lengthy second scene in Act One only featured these five characters and they all shone in what was a brilliantly directed piece of theatre.

Eliza’s love interest, Freddy Eynsford-Hill was played with confidence and charm by Marcus Walton who had obviously worked hard to convey the foppishness required for this role. Freddy’s mother and sister were portrayed by Jacqueline Dowse and Lucy Kelley respectively, and both delivered very good performances. Margaret Glen as Henry’s long-suffering mother, Mrs Higgins, was also very good. Her comic timing in the ‘at home’ scene with Suzie Stevens as her maid, was simply superb. The ensemble was completed by Alex Walton, Gary Cadwallader, Heather Butterworth, Gilly Vincent and Hugh Butterworth; all of whom had lovely moments.

Andy and Sharon Antony as the directors should be congratulated on enabling their actors to shine in the way they did. After a conversation with Andy, I discovered there was a choice of endings in the script, and I was so pleased with the one that was selected. It presented a newly empowered and forthright Eliza, not going back to Professor Higgins, but taking control of her life and announcing she was going to open a flower shop. A good choice.

Andy and Sharon’s interpretation of this ‘wordy’ play was full of pace, clarity and kept the audience engaged throughout, and this was helped by the slick scene changes courtesy of stage manager Gus Sparrow and his team of stage crew (members of the cast). Well done on these seamless transitions. The lighting and sound effects were also seamless and very well done. The lighting was sharp and atmospheric but unintrusive and the background sound effects added depth to scenes. The props and furniture looked authentic and enhanced the settings. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I was a fan of the projections and would have like to have seen more set to enrich the production, but I appreciate the constraints of trying to accommodate a multi-scene play and building a set in a theatre in limited time after transferring from a rehearsal space. On the whole, the costumes were excellent and in keeping with the Edwardian period; Heather Butterworth and Sharon Antony should be commended for costuming such a large cast. Eliza Doolittle’s dresses were particularly beautiful.

Huge congratulations St. Peter’s Hill Players on another top-notch production. It was brilliantly directed and produced (well done producer, Tony Hine), had some high production values and first-rate acting. It was a pleasure and a joy to be in the audience.

 

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