Pygmalion at the Garrick

It was a rare treat last night to be at the theatre. There is a new production of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre and Eleri fancied going, so off we went. The Garrick on Charing cross Road is a brilliant little theatre. We had seats in the third row.

We know the play chiefly via My Fair Lady. It was good then to get back to the original and find that Henry Higgins is in fact a quite unsympathetic character. The play, though dated in some ways, does raise some interesting questions about what makes a person tick and what really matters in life. The most famous line in it I think is that of Eliza's father in reply to the question "Have you no morals, man?" - "Cant afford them, Gov'nor. ..."

It was a great production, almost word perfect. The sets were straightforward and the acting just right for the most part. Simon Ward was off somewhere but good old Diana Rigg did well as did Rupert Everett (bit too shouty - but we weren't supposed to like him). Our friend Kara Tointon was in the lead role as Eliza and did very well, charming us all. Of course, there is some "sanguine language" which is a pity in some ways but the scene where an almost transformed Eliza talks about her aunt having died from influenza (so they said) but adding "it's my belief they done the old woman in" is hilarious (cf this version).

PS Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved. More here.