Pygmalion (My Fair Lady …) in Burghausen

On Feb 19, 2024 the 10th and 11th classes – some 140 pupils in all! – eagerly went down to Burghausen town hall to see a performance of “Pygmalion” by the TNT Theatre, a group of American and British actors based in Munich. The play was written by George Bernard Shaw in the early 20th century and was turned into a still famous musical called “My Fair Lady” in the  1950s. It is loosely based on an ancient Greek mythological figure who falls in love with a statue he has created. Similarly, in the play, Professor Henry Higgins takes on the challenge of transforming a poor flower girl named Eliza Doolittle into a refined lady through education in manners and speech. Despite Eliza’s initial reluctance, Higgins succeeds, but after a ball at which Eliza excels, Higgins fails to appreciate her efforts, which eventually results in her breakdown. Eliza leaves her “master”, seeking kindness elsewhere, and ultimately chooses to marry Freddy, a love-sick, impoverished young man, much to Higgins’ dismay. The play mirrors the Greek myth in that Higgins shapes the young woman just like Pygmalion does in the ancient myth. Shaw’s play can still play an interesting role in modern society in terms of class divisions and social mobility, so one might still be able to learn a thing or two about society from this story. Although the authors of the given review feel that the play was fun to watch and that the actors were doing a great job on stage, we believe that it was rather mediocrely received by a majority of our classmates – we believe that they largely failed to understand the meaning of the play, because they were unaware of its relevance for their own lives. But in the end, the play still turned out to be quite a fun experience.

Text: Lia Moser, Raphael Stenger (both 10c)

Foto: AVG