Shaw-Pygmalion

One of George Bernard Shaw's best-known plays Pygmalion was a rousing success on the London and New York stages an entertaining 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 antiquated British class system. In Shaw's clever adaptation Professor Henry Higgins a linguistic expert takes on a bet that he can transform an awkward cockney flower seller into a refined young lady simply by polishing her manners and changing the way she speaks. In the process of convincing society that his creation 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 splendid 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 performed.