Pygmalion at Limelight Theatre

Pygmalion at Limelight Theatre

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Posted 2017-09-24 by grooverfollow

Thu 12 Oct 2017 - Sat 21 Oct 2017



George Bernard Shaw's most popular play – the inspiration for the musical My Fair Lady – comes to Limelight Theatre this October. Directed by Jacob Turner, Pygmalion is the classic story of a young, lower-class Cockney girl who, in a short time, is transformed into a refined lady of the upper class.

The play, first performed in 1913, lampoons the British class system of the day and provides countless comedic moments. In addition to being the inspiration for My Fair Lady, there have been countless modern parodies including episodes of The Simpsons.

"The biggest challenge is remaining true to the original concepts while also trying to incorporate my own distinct vision for the production," Jacob said. "I have a fantastic cast and production crew who are intently focused on putting together the best possible adaptation of Pygmalion, which has created a great atmosphere and made my work to this point a pleasure."
First performing at Limelight Theatre in 2012's Sunset Boulevard, Jacob has also appeared in Hairspray, Pride and Prejudice, The Darling Buds of May and Skylight. In 2013, he appeared in Two Weeks with the Queen at Stirling Theatre."Shaw's writing, particularly his use of language and characters in Pygmalion, are what initially inspired me to direct this production," Jacob said. "His sharp wit and clearly-defined characters make his vision very clear. I was also looking for a new personal challenge after acting for many years and Pygmalion seemed the logical choice for me."


Owen Phillips plays Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics who is obsessed with his work. "At the same time, he's completely oblivious to the feelings of others," he said. "Higgins is only interested in other people if they're relevant to his work and will either ignore or abuse those he considers inferior and uninteresting to him. He takes Eliza Doolittle, a common flower seller, under his wing to transform her into a duchess by teaching her to speak 'like a lady' – all for the sake of a bet he makes with a friend."It would be easy to play Higgins as just a rude, awful person who shouts and bullies his way through life. But the challenge will be bringing out the other, less obvious sides to his character to let the audience see, underneath the bluster, he's a sensitive person who develops real feelings towards Eliza by the end of the play."



Involved in numerous productions over the past 20 years, Owen first performed at the University Dramatic Society at UWA while studying, followed by Limelight and Stirling Theatres. Pygmalion marks his return to the stage after a 13-year absence."It's a classic story," Owen said. "Many people will be familiar with the musical version My Fair Lady and the many different variations of the story which have been developed over the years, such as the movie Pretty Woman and TV comedy The Nanny. The original George Bernard Shaw play is not well-known to many people so it's a wonderful opportunity to be able to bring the play to life for a Perth audience."

Pygmalion plays at 8pm October 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21 with a 2pm matinee October 15. Tickets are $21, $18 concession – book at www.limelighttheatre.com.au or on 0499 954 016 between 9am and midday, Monday to Friday. Limelight Theatre is located on Civic Drive, Wanneroo.



#community_theatre
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#october
!date 12/10/2017 -- 21/10/2017
%wnperth
162111 - 2023-06-14 20:16:54

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