Pygmalion

SNADS’ spring production of ‘Pygmalion’ offered a splendid evening’s entertainment.  From the opening beneath the gleaming portico of Covent Garden to the finale in Mrs Higgins’ drawing room, the show was a visual and auditory feast. Despite the occasional prompt, the cast managed this archaic text well, with the beautifully-modulated voice of Val Atkinson (Mrs Dolittle) setting the standard. Sarah Easterbrook (Eliza Dolittle) vocally came into her own as Eliza was transformed from a common flower-girl to a lady fit for Society, while Alan Mash masterfully mangled his vowels and mastered the glottal-stop as he confidently strutted his stuff as the Cockney patriarch, Alfred Dolittle.
The characters were well-drawn by the actors, the elegant manners of Mrs Higgins and the charming affability of Colonel Pickering (Tony Harrison), contrasting with the blustering, bullying boyishness of Henry Higgins (Bill Peat). Eliza was particularly amusing at Mrs Higgins’ reception, as she struggled to reconcile her dual personalities.  Jane Wade (Mrs Pearce) approached her role with a light touch and her gentle management of the chocolate-eating Higgins was most amusing. Helen Peat played a shrill Clara, contrasting nicely with her brother, Freddie Eynsford-Hill, as young, handsome and positive as a romantic hero should be.
It is not always true that the set complements the action, but SNADS’ team created and dressed a suitably masculine gentleman’s study and an elegant lady’s drawing room (that moment with the bite taken out of a sandwich was fun, too). The five revolving panels offered the audience a different perspective on scene-changing, in addition to being practical. Costumes were nicely chosen and in complementary colours, which all added to the charm and texture of the show.
A delightful evening. Well done, SNADS!
 

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