Review: Pygmalion - Newcastle Theatre Royal

From flower girl to middle class respectability

 

Pygmalion: Rula Lenska (Mrs Higgins) Jane Lambert (Mrs Eynsford-Hill) Alistair McGowan (Higgins) Anna O'Grady (Clara Eynsford-Hill) -®Manuel Harlan

Pygmalion - Newcastle Theatre Royal

Written by Bernard Shaw

Until Saturday 26^th April 2014

Director: David Grindley

The timeless comedy classic about how Henry Higgins (Alistair McGowan) takes on the challenge of teaching the flower seller girl Eliza Doolittle (Rachel Barry) how to pass herself off in middle class society is an entertaining way to spend an evening. 

Whilst McGowan is well known for his voices on programmes like Spitting Image the rest of the cast are equally as impressive with the various accents. Eliza and her Dad, Alfred, (Jamie Foreman) display a range of vocal talents as they toggle between working class London to various attempts at a posher accent. This gives both actors a big share of the laughs. Laughs are also given by the straight roles of Henry Higgins’ Mother (played by the wonderful Ruth Lenska) and Colonel Pickering (Paul Brightwell). This strong cast are able to deliver the lines with comic timing without coming across as wooden or tongue-in-cheek. At the time of its first opening there was scandal over the use of forbidden words but the language used is more likely to raise laughs rather than eyebrows today. The set was well designed, by Jonathan Fensom, so that the action flowed through the scenes. The subtle lighting by Jason Taylor also helped convey a sense of the period.  One feels empathy for Eliza as she strives for independence and mild irritation of the actions of Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering during their experiment.

This was an absorbing, charming and delightful play. 

Pygmalion: Alistair McGowan as Prof Higgins -®Manuel Harlan

Pygmalion appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 22 – Saturday 26 April. Tickets are available from £12.00 (plus a booking fee of 95p - £1.95 will apply to most tickets) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Photos: ©   Manuel Harlan

Tour website: http://www.pygmalionuktour.co.uk/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PygmalionUKTour2014

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pygmalionuktour  

The tour continues

21/04 - 26/04/14        Newcastle    Newcastle Theatre Royal

28/04 - 03/05/14        Malvern         Festival Theatre

05/05 - 10/05/14        Oxford            Oxford Playhouse

12/05 - 17/05/14        Coventry       Coventry Belgrade

27/05 - 31/05/14        Milton Keynes           Milton Keynes Theatre

02/06 -  07/06/14       Canterbury   Marlowe Theatre 

09/06 - 14/06/14        Plymouth        Theatre Royal Plymouth

16/06 - 21/06/14        Norwich         Norwich Theatre Royal

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo  

Preview: Pygmalion at Newcastle Theatre Royal

A CHANCE TO CATCH A CLASSIC BRITISH DRAMA AT

 NEWCASTLE'S THEATRE ROYAL

 

Photo: Pygmalion - Alistair McGowan as Prof Higgins  ® Manuel Harlan

Alistair McGowan reprises his West End role as Henry Higgins in a new production of Bernard Shaw’s best-known play, Pygmalion, which comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal, 22 – 26 April, as part of a 16 week national tour.

The aristocratic and egocentric Professor of Phonetics Henry Higgins, makes a bet with his friend, the amiable Colonel Pickering, that he can transform the manners and speech of Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle and pass her off as a lady in society. Packed with a host of larger than life characters including Alfred Doolittle and lovelorn Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Pygmalion remains one of the most popular of Bernard Shaw’s plays and is perhaps best known as the inspiration for the Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady. This ever-entertaining dramatic tour de force is full of Shaw’s trademark wit, style and provocative insights, as well as a beguiling and enduring humour. A classic British drama.  His other work includes Mrs Warren’s Profession, Arms and the Man, Candida and You Never Can Tell.

BAFTA award-winning Alistair McGowan stars as Henry Higgins, a role he played at the Garrick Theatre in 2011. Regarded as one of the most talented people working in entertainment today, he is a writer, impressionist and comic and has established himself as a formidable actor in recent years, receiving critical acclaim for several West End appearances including Little Shop of Horrors, for which he received an Olivier Award nomination. Rula Lenska joins Alistair to play Mrs Higgins and Jamie Foreman will play Alfred Doolittle. Rula is a one of our leading stage and television actors with appearances in several major TV series including her role as Claudia Colby in Coronation Street. Jamie Foreman has over thirty film credits to his name including Layer Cake and Polanski’s Oliver Twist.  His television credits include the long-running role of Derek Branning in EastEnders and Pygmalion marks his return to the stage. Rising star Rachel Barry will play Eliza. Rachel was most recently seen in the West End in Michael Grandage’s acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Pygmalion - Rula Lenska (Mrs Higgins) Jane Lambert (Mrs Eynsford-Hill) Alistair McGowan (Higgins) Anna O'Grady (Clara Eynsford-Hill)  ® Manuel Harlan

Tony award-winning David Grindley directs. His work is seen on both sides of the Atlantic and he won a Tony Award in 2007 for his production of Journey’s End.  His most recent UK credits include Daytona with Maureen Lipman, Our Boys at the Duchess Theatre and Copenhagen in Sheffield.  

Pygmalion appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 22 – Saturday 26 April. Tickets are available from £12.00 (plus a booking fee of 95p - £1.95 will apply to most tickets) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Photos: ©   Manuel Harlan

Tour website: http://www.pygmalionuktour.co.uk/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PygmalionUKTour2014

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pygmalionuktour