Pygmalion (Classic Radio Theatre)

Simon Cadell stars as Henry Higgins with Imelda Staunton as Eliza Doolittle in this BBC Radio 4 production of Shaw’s famous play. When phonetics tutor and linguist Henry Higgins meets Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle, he makes a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering that he can teach her to speak so well that she will be able to pass herself off as a Duchess at a society ball. Eliza agrees, seduced by promises of chocolates and taxi rides - but her transformation from caterpillar to butterfly will not be easy, and the process will take its toll on both Eliza and Higgins…Written in 1912, ‘Pygmalion’ enjoyed instant success and was adapted as the hit musical ‘My Fair Lady’, starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Among the star cast in this 1986 adaptation are Simon Cadell, Imelda Staunton, Rachel Gurney and Edward Hardwicke. The ‘Classic Radio Theatre’ range presents notable radio productions of much-loved plays by some of the most renowned playwrights, and starring some of our finest actors.