************************* When professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, takes on the bet of turning Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a fashionable, sophisticated lady and the toast of London society, he begins to play a dangerous game. As Higgins’ fondness for Eliza grows, he starts to regard her as much more than a simple flower girl from the streets of Covent Garden. But his ‘social experiment’ means he risks losing everything when he arrogantly overlooks the fact that his ‘creation’ has a mind of her own. Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, on which the celebrated musical and academy award winning film, My Fair Lady is based, is a stylish, witty and romantic play which has delighted audiences for almost 100 years with its questions about social class, human behaviour and tempestuous relations between the sexes. York Thratre Royal’s production will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Bernard Shaw The impressive cast includes the return to the main stage of York Theatre Royal pantomime favourite, David Leonard. David, who last year directed the Theatre’s highly successful production of The Importance of Being Earnest, will play the role of Professor Henry Higgins. He will be joined onstage by some familiar faces to the stage of York Theatre Royal – Sarah Quintrell (Sinead in Carrie & Barrie, opposite Neil Morrissey, and Bloodtide, York Theatre Royal) as the cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle; Robert Pickavance (Broken Glass, York Theatre Royal) as the wealthy bachelor, Colonel Pickering; Christine Cox (Hobson’s Choice, York Theatre Royal and Emmerdale) playing Henry Higgins’ mother; Mark White (Frankie and Johnny, York Theatre Royal) as Alfred Doolittle; Tina Gray (Noises Off, York Theatre Royal as Mrs Eynsford-Hill; Clare Corbett (Love and Understanding, Manchester Library Theatre) as Clara Eynsford-Hill; Henry Luxemburg (Toby Mills from Hollyoaks ) as Freddy Eynsford-Hill; Robin Simpson (The Little Mermaid, York Theatre Royal) as Higgins’ former student Nepommuck; Barbara Kirby (Blithe Spirit, Savoy Theatre ) as Higgins housekeeper, Mrs Pearce and finally Elizabeth Keates (the forthcoming film, Boudica) as the parlour maid. The play is being directed by Damian Cruden, Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal, whose recent productions have included Broken Glass, East is East and Brassed Off . He said of the production, Pygmalion is the summit of Shaw’s comic works, it is Cinderella meets Frankenstein, the politics of sex in a comedy of manners. Written at a time of great political legislative reform Shaw believed that an understanding of phonetics could dismantle the British Class system, ‘.the reformer we need most today is an energetic phonetic enthusiast.’ The play’s relevance to our world today is still undeniable, we continue to be defined by our outward demeanour and it is still true that financial security is necessary for individuals if they are to be able to contribute effectively to our society. As Doolittle says ‘It’s making a gentleman of me that I object to.I have to live for others and not for myself; that’s middle class morality.’ The play is beautifully structured and wonderfully witty. It offers a great opportunity for Sarah Quintrell to recreate Eliza Doolittle as a very modern woman in opposition to David Leonard’s Henry Higgins. The cast is a mixture of old and new faces to the Theatre Royal and I am looking forward to working with them on such a challenging piece. The period setting of the play will remain, however we hope to make a very fluid, pacey and colourful production that captures the humour and the politics of this classic.” Siobhán Ferrie, whose previous credits at York Theatre Royal have included Macbeth and The Cello and The Nightingale designs Pygmalion’s sumptuous set and costumes. The play’s lighting is designed by Richard G Jones, whose previous credits include the critically acclaimed production of STEPTOE AND SON in Murder at Oil Drum Lane (York Theatre Royal and Comedy Theatre), and the York Theatre Royal productions of Northanger Abbey and Brassed Off. Tickets for this eagerly awaited production are priced between £8.50 - £18.00, with tickets for Under 25s and Students at £3.50 and can be purchased at the York Theatre Royal Box Office or by calling 01904 623568 or visiting www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk **************************