Peter Evans’s current revival of George Bernard Shaw’s PYGMALION is a rich, rewarding night at the theatre!

Shaw’s most popular play is an all-time classic, one of those works that has been ‘the seed’ for so of many much loved plays and movies. The premise is a simple and inspired one. Bring together two people from different sides of the track and to use the colloquial term, ‘see what gives’.

From the right side of the tracks is Professor Henry Higgins. Remember John Lennon’s famous wisecrack during a concert when he was with the Beatles, ‘those in the front rows, just rattle your jewellery’. Professor Higgins is from the rattle your jewellery class.

From the wrong side of the tracks is Eliza Dolittle. My partner is known to recount her story from her times going to a very working class school in Preston, Melbourne. A teacher asked a student what her parents did for a living. The girl’s reply took her by surprise. ‘My parents are in the iron and steel business. My mum does the ironing, my dad does the stealing!’. Eliza Dolittle comes from an iron and steel family sort of background.

What a journey Shaw takes us on! At one time Eliza says to Henry, ‘there can’t be any feelings between the likes of you and the likes of me?!’. Well the play reveals something quite different.

PYGMALION is the kind of play that has so much to ruminate over! Is class destiny or can one break through the barriers? What is love? What is true independence? Can people change their belief systems, or are they so entrenched that it makes it impossible?!

Peter Evans’s production is no frills. No flashy, fancy sets. He lets the play do the talking! His main directorial touch is some interesting use of video following Eliza around as she struggles to sort her feelings out.

Shaw’s characters are so well drawn that the cast have a field day! In the leads…Marco Chiappi is great as the curly haired, eccentric Professor Higgins. Ok Marco isn’t Geoffrey Rush…I kept on thinking Rush would have been great as Higgins…but Marco’s good!

Gorgeous NIDA graduate Andrea Demetriades gives a strong portrayal as the street smart ‘I’m a good girl I am’ Eliza Dolitte. Demetriades shows both sides of Eliza; the feisty, willful Eliza and also her vulnerable side.

As she says to Henry, ‘You’re nothing but a bully! If I can’t have kindness, I’ll have my independence’. It’s kind of like we are in similar territory to Nora slamming the door with Torvald looking on astonished in Ibsen’s A DOLL’S HOUSE.

David Woods stood out in his performance as Eliza’s father, Alfred, -‘Am I an honest man or a rogue? I’m a bit of both! Woods played his role with a bit of Pinter like menace which was intriguing.

The Sydney Theatre stage is graced by some of Australia’s finest, most experienced actors and they cruise, in the best sense, through their roles; Deborah Kennedy plays Henry’s imperious, snooty housemaid, Mrs Pearce, Wendy Hughes is his domineering mum, Kim Gyngell plays the affable, charming Colonel Pickering and Vanessa Downing plays Mrs Eynsford Hill.

Two fine young actors, Harriet Dyer as Clara and Tom Stokes as Freddy, show flair in their brief times on stage.

Mel Pages’s costumes were striking and Alan John’s bridging music, with a great use of saxophone between scenes, worked well.

Peter Evans’s production for the Sydney Theatre Company of George Bernard Shaw’s PYGMALION opened at the Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay on Saturday 4th February and runs until Saturday March 3rd, 2012.

© David Kary

22nd February, 2012

Tags; Sydney Theatre Reviews- PYGMALION, George Bernard Shaw, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre, Peter Evans, Andrea Demetriades, Marco Chiappi, Kim Gyngell, Harriet Dyer, Vanessa Downing, Tom Stokes, Deborah Kennedy, David Woods, Wendy Hughes, Mel Page, Alan Johns, Brett Boardman, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary