Pygmalion
Mon, 25 June 2007, 01:00 pmstinger1 post in thread
Pygmalion
Mon, 25 June 2007, 01:00 pmI saw Melville Theatre's production of this 'classic' last Saturday. It finishes next Saturday.
The play was written by George Bernard Shaw in 1912 as a vehicle for prima donna Stella Campbell, who (at the age of 40ish) apparently thought it beneath her to be playing a 20 year old, but she did it anyway to humour her friend GBS. The actor who played Higgins in that first production was in his 60s but apparently had no such reservations about playing a 40ish character.
To continue the history lesson, GBS also wrote the screenplay for the movie version of the play, for which he won an Oscar in 1939. He forbade the 'musicalisation' of the play and 'My Fair Lady' did not emerge until 14 years after his death. To give the play its due therefore, one should put that particular musical totally out of one's mind.
Shaw was a friend and contemporary of fellow Dubliner, Oscar Wilde, and several of their works share similar themes. Shaw was the stronger moraliser, a vegetarian and a teetotaller, which probably accounts for the fact that he lived some 50 years longer than Wilde. Here endeth the lesson.
Director Joan Scafe took a big chance and cast her main roles with (relatively inexperienced)actors of approximately the stage ages of the characters. This seems to have paid off, with very convincing and engaging performances from the two leads. The supporting roles, all well cast with a mixture of seasoned and fresh faces, found their way around Shaw's sometimes convoluted, often witty lines in lively and amusing fashion.
The stage at Melville is relatively wide and sometimes I felt that actors were using the width too much, at other times too little, but on the whole, satisfactorily. The set served well as Higgins' 'laboratory' and Mrs Higgin's sitting room, however I felt that the Covent Gardens scene could have used some columns and the Reception scene could have used a staircase, or at least something suggesting same. The light and sound designs were good.
As some readers will know, I do not regard 'entertainment' as the ultimate aim of theatre. It is after all an artistic process, beginning with the idea in the playwright's head and continuing long after the applause (or lack thereof) has died away. Having said that, it is clear that a lot of people have worked very hard to bring this production to its fruition and I for one was thoroughly entertained.
stingerMon, 25 June 2007, 01:00 pm
I saw Melville Theatre's production of this 'classic' last Saturday. It finishes next Saturday.
The play was written by George Bernard Shaw in 1912 as a vehicle for prima donna Stella Campbell, who (at the age of 40ish) apparently thought it beneath her to be playing a 20 year old, but she did it anyway to humour her friend GBS. The actor who played Higgins in that first production was in his 60s but apparently had no such reservations about playing a 40ish character.
To continue the history lesson, GBS also wrote the screenplay for the movie version of the play, for which he won an Oscar in 1939. He forbade the 'musicalisation' of the play and 'My Fair Lady' did not emerge until 14 years after his death. To give the play its due therefore, one should put that particular musical totally out of one's mind.
Shaw was a friend and contemporary of fellow Dubliner, Oscar Wilde, and several of their works share similar themes. Shaw was the stronger moraliser, a vegetarian and a teetotaller, which probably accounts for the fact that he lived some 50 years longer than Wilde. Here endeth the lesson.
Director Joan Scafe took a big chance and cast her main roles with (relatively inexperienced)actors of approximately the stage ages of the characters. This seems to have paid off, with very convincing and engaging performances from the two leads. The supporting roles, all well cast with a mixture of seasoned and fresh faces, found their way around Shaw's sometimes convoluted, often witty lines in lively and amusing fashion.
The stage at Melville is relatively wide and sometimes I felt that actors were using the width too much, at other times too little, but on the whole, satisfactorily. The set served well as Higgins' 'laboratory' and Mrs Higgin's sitting room, however I felt that the Covent Gardens scene could have used some columns and the Reception scene could have used a staircase, or at least something suggesting same. The light and sound designs were good.
As some readers will know, I do not regard 'entertainment' as the ultimate aim of theatre. It is after all an artistic process, beginning with the idea in the playwright's head and continuing long after the applause (or lack thereof) has died away. Having said that, it is clear that a lot of people have worked very hard to bring this production to its fruition and I for one was thoroughly entertained.