Pygmalion (Malvern Theatre) – theatre review

Pygmalion, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw’s humorous but pointed take on language and speech and their importance in society and in personal relationships, was first mounted on stage more than a century ago. Now Malvern Theatre Company has reprised the masterwork under the direction of Andrew Ferguson, who – along with Neil Barnett – is also responsible for set design. The play, which Shaw wrote in 1912, was named after a Greek mythological character who fell in love with one of his sculptures, which subsequently came to life. The set in this production incorporates a reference to the myth by way of a copy of a 1786 painting by French artist Jean-Baptiste Regnault.

Shaw’s story concerns a professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, who makes a bet with a friend that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower seller, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess. Higgins sets about teaching her to assume a veneer of gentility, the most important element of which, he believes, is impeccable speech. To ensure the work did not portray a romantic relationship between the two main players, Shaw defended his original intent, making it clear that the heroine will marry another character … and so it appears here. The play is a sharp lampoon of the rigid British class system of the day and a commentary on women’s independence.

Several British professors of phonetics, and one cantankerous man in particular, apparently inspired the character of Henry Higgins. Shaw’s composition has been adapted many times, most notably as the musical My Fair Lady and the eight-time Oscar winning film of that name was released in 1964. It starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. In acknowledgement of the latter, the Malvern Theatre Company’s Pygmalion includes familiar short musical excerpts – quite a delightful touch.

Peter Maver is strong and Lauren McCormack suitably feisty as the two central players. Barry James makes a most debonair Colonel George Pickering (the professor’s “partner in crime” and the one with whom he made the bet). Linda Morgan was a particular fancy of mine as the professor’s mother, so adept at putting him in his place. Paul Wentworth rounds out the principals – the total cast numbers 13 – as Eliza Doolittle’s gold-digging father, Alfred, whose fortunes take a decided turn.

The humour is palpable and peels of laughter regularly emanate from the audience – a sure sign that Shaw’s words still have an appreciable impact 100 years on. Sadly, in 2016 – as in the 20th century and before – class, inequality and women’s rights remain pressing issues, as do race or ethnicity. So while Pygmalion may, to some, appear dated and the left overs of a bygone era, I would argue forcefully that the undertone still resonates strongly.

With a running time of 2½ hours, excluding a 20-minute interval, it is playing at 29 Burke Road, East Malvern, until 30th April. Check their website for further details and you can buy tickets by calling 1300 131 552.

Alex First