"I'm a good girl I am!" protests Eliza Doolittle throughout the first half of Pygmalion.
And that she is. George Bernard Shaw's famous rags-to-riches flower girl is an unexpecting lady in waiting and more lady-like in her beliefs, morals and character, than any of her peers.
However, it's the lady behind Eliza who is the real good girl.
Andrea Demetriades shines as Eliza Doolittle and her Sydney Theatre debut has just set the standard for all rising stars that follow. It would be easy to believe you were watching a STC veteran on stage - at ease, commanding the crowd with subtle dry humour and soft but well-executed mannerisms. However, it's her ability to completely transform herself into two different characters at once that makes Andrea Demetriades a name we won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
As the metamorphosis of Eliza begins to shape, she is taken to a tea party to practice her lady-like manners. Clearly stuck somewhere between a flower girl and a lady, she unwittingly mixes her words, her accent and leaves quite a mark on the guests – in more ways than one.
The play, like George Bernard Shaw himself, has much of this subtle humour – however, it is always underpinned by some rather serious themes about class, love, morality and even with Eliza's eventual turn into a lady – feminism. Her transformation into a lady has just as much to do with her ability to speak for herself, than it does her ability to speak in the first place.
Now, please someone give Andrea a star on Hickson Road - something tell is she'll be here a long time!
http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/2012/pygmalion
Previews
31 January, 1 - 3 February 8pm
Season
4 February – 3 March
