Pygmalion

Shaws most entertaining play with an extended introduction and his original preface.

'More radical and much funnier than Lerner and Loewe's romantic musical' The Guardian. Pygmalion is one of Shaw's most accessible and entertaining plays; its characters-particularly Professor Higgins and his pupil Eliza Doolittle-have become household names. The fame of Pygmalion has been both enhanced and undermined by the musical adaptation My Fair Lady. This is a fresh, up to date and accessibly written critical edition for literature and drama students. An authoritative and academically rigorous edition, edited by the Shaw Estate and international Shaw expert, Len Connolly. Students will find a wealth of information to guide their studies: an extended introduction exploring theatrical and historical context, critical reactions to Pygmalion, background on the author, stage history and character analysis. It also includes Shaw's original Preface, the Pygmalian and Galatea myth (Ovid) and Shaw's rehearsal notes for the 1914 premiere. The play itself contains numerous notes and explanations throughout to aid the student's understanding.