Shaw’s Pygmalion on stage in Bloem this month

The Department of Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS) will be presenting a production of George Bernard Shaw’s ever so popular Pygmalion in Bloem at the end of this month
Pygmalion is one of English drama’s classic plays. Written by Shaw in the early 1900s, the play is based on an ancient Greek myth in which a sculptor, Pygmalion, falls in love with one of his statues, which then comes to life.
In Shaw’s story, a professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, takes a bet that he can train a poor flower girl to speak “proper” English and pass her off as a duchess. Eliza Doolittle, the subject of this experiment, must learn to improve her manners, language and social skills. But what does she lose along the way?
Pygmalion is a gentle comedy, directed by Dion van Niekerk, that makes a statement about class structures and the role of women in society – it isn’t hard to draw parallels with South African social conditions. Shaw’s famous play was converted into a popular musical in the 1960s, and many people will recognise the story of Pygmalion in My Fair Lady.
Pygmalion will be on show in the Wynand Mouton Theatre on the UFS Main Campus from 29-31 March, at 19:30 every day.
Tickets are R40 for adults, R30 for students and scholars and R25 for pensioners at Computicket (0861-915-8000).