Next up in the series that absolutely no one is reading, a bona fide classic.
PYGMALION
by Bernard Shaw
(Penguin, 1st produced 1914, 1954 reprint of film version)
First point, with Pygmalian and My Fair Lady, we have a rare example of the musical remake being equally as fine as the (excellent) original (see also The Philadelphia Story and High Society)... and you can forget any nonsense about how Julie Andrews would have made a better Eliza than our Audrey. Second point, the ending of the original is different to the ending of the remake – old bearded Bernie’s original has an Intro and an Outro, the latter a very serious piece of writing indeed, in line with the Socialist ideals he intended to put into this play, quoting both Nietzsche and HG Wells, and informing us in no uncertain terms that Eliza would have ended up marrying Freddy, supported by money from the beneficent Colonel, not the odious misogynist Henry Higgins as was implied by the film. This is actually the crux of Shaw’s play, and it would have pained him considerably to see his message so messed with by Hollywood. Treatises aside, there are some extremely engaging sketches of the characters drawn by one Feliks Topolski – haunted, blurry, the very essence of London life circa 1914 – and the actual banter is first rate. Still, what else would one expect from the author of The Intelligent Woman’s Guide To Socialism, Capitalism, Sovietism and Fascism? An eminently readable play that is still a delight from beginning to end.
Cost: 10p
Bargain value: 10 (it’s got illustrations even!)
Cover: 4 (classic Penguin, but no picture)
Author’s authenticity count: 10 (19th Century Socialist, prime mover of Fabian Society, vegetarian, published essays on Ibsen and Wagner)
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