Shaw

Pygmalion Shaw

One of George Bernard Shaw's best-known plays, Pygmalion was a instant success on the London and New York stages, an lively motion picture and a great hit with its musical version, My Fair Lady. An updated and considerably revised version of the ancient Greek legend of Pygmalion and Galatea, the 20th-century story pokes fun at the old-fashioned British class system. In Shaw's clever adaptation, Professor Henry Higgins, a linguistic expert, takes on a bet that he can transform an inelegant cockney flower seller into a refined young lady simply by refining her speech and manners. In the process of convincing society that his formation is a mysterious royal figure, the Professor also falls in love with his elegant handiwork. The irresistible theme of the emerging butterfly, together with Shaw's brilliant dialogue and magnificent skills as a playwright, have made Pygmalion one of the most popular comedies in the English language. A staple of college drama courses, it is still widely studied and performed to this day.