The Brasenose Arts student production of Pygmalion is being marketed as a "darker look" at Bernard Shaw's much-loved social satire, yet in truth it is nothing of the sort. Instead, the talented company have created an entirely faithful reading, much as one assumes Shaw would have intended.

Phoneticist Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can pass off working-class street trader Eliza Doolittle as an aristocrat simply by correcting her colloquial use of English. Initially reluctant, but desperate to escape the poverty trap in which she has found herself, Eliza agrees to play along, in the hope of securing a more rewarding social position. The experiment is a great success, but the unforeseen consequences return to haunt the professor, as Eliza comes to realise her own intellectual strengths.

Working directly from a script of exceptional wit and eloquence, the cast played for every available laugh, and were largely successful in their efforts. Indeed, the casting of the highly promising Helen Winston as Eliza was inspired, allowing the actress ample opportunity to demonstrate a genuine flair for comedy. Moving effortlessly from the brash, Hepburn-inspired flower girl to the sharper, wiser society figure engineered by Professor Higgins, Ms. Winston exuded confidence throughout, sympathetically adjusting her performance to the mood of each scene. The rest of the cast, despite being more than capable, occasionally found themselves struggling to keep up, although a commendably energetic performance by Himanshu Ojha as Higgins served to restore a little of the much-needed balance.
In a sense, it is a shame the promise of a darker version of the play proved to be unfounded. Just as My Fair Lady succeeded in lightening the tale beyond any serious worth, there is room for a greater exploration of Shaw's polemical motives. For anyone new to the play, or simply wanting to see it well performed, however, this short run may provide the ideal opportunity.

Jim Batty 01/03/05