Over a hundred years after the original Pygmalion was written (George Bernard Shaw). Audiences may also be familiar with the general story through adaptations such as ‘My Fair Lady’. However, this time around, the character of young girl Eliza has been swapped out for a building, spinning a different take on the classic tale.
Upon entering the intimate theaterette of Motley Bauhaus, we are greeted by the ever-strong, sole figure of Eliza, usually a ‘woman from the gutters’ but in this case a sturdy, reliable house whose gutters could do with a clean. She may not be the prettiest home, even described as the “worst house on the best street”, but it’s all down to location, location, location! Eliza is ready for a makeover to become a most valuable investment and is soon embraced by keen landlords ready to renovate, remove the “drongo” renters, and upgrade to residents to the higher class Airbnb “clients”.
Created by Annabelle Wemyss, who also plays Eliza, with direction by Bella Kourdoulos and produced by Ryan Kepper, over the next 60 minutes, the cast of five deliver an energy-packed story in relevant reference to the housing crisis and cost of living struggles faced by many today.
Eliza is the play’s focus with everything happening around and to her. She communicates to the audience differently than other characters, through rhyming monologue, delivered with as much conviction as a Shakespearean script but with more casual, modern and humorous words.
Our two landlord ‘fools’, Higgins and Pickering (Finn McLeish and Seamus Allan), engage their audience with sales-pitch energy to their dialogue and physical comedy, delivering punches to the crowd.
Jillian Eva was a standout, playing many various characters, switching between them easily, and quickly changing the tone of the show where needed. While Tash Frost, who plays Eliza’s old tenant, there before all the fame and glory of a modern renovation, provides a more serious and reflective note, bringing to attention the common struggles of many renters around Australia.
This version of Pygmalion is fresh and so unique. Even having been familiar with the loose source material, I at no point, could predict where this tale would lead us.
From a yearning romance in the paint section of Bunnings, a choregraphed dance of renovation and makeover led by a Toorak mother who knows best, embracing the never-ending list of Airbnb Safety Guidelines, and pretentious ‘The Block’ style teams proclaiming that they have been “sent by God to renovate”.
The cast shone in their moments of physical comedy with laughter heard throughout the audience, with the more serious moments asking for reflection. It’s true it may cost the landlords money to fix the ‘small’ ignorable problems like black mould, but for the renters it simply “costs to live”.
Pygmalion also reflects on the predatory nature of landlords, with the culmination of Eliza not being a practical family house, nor an Airbnb, but to stand there vacant as an occasionally used, mostly empty holiday home.
Lighting was used well to distinguish different moods and stage areas, with parts being spoken directly to the audience before the cast step back into the scene, the simple brick backdrop of the Motley Bauhaus theaterette walls becoming a perfectly themed set piece.
There was opportunity to tie the story together a bit more neatly throughout, as scenes occasionally felt a little disjointed, and the ending not quite delivering the gut punch that a story like this has the chance to deliver. However, overall, the audience responded positively and seemed to have a good time.
Pygmalion in all its forms, remains a relevant story with something to say. The team behind this production has done well to modernise this 1912 story to 2024, and have something to say while still delivering an entertaining and humorous play.
This modernised and housing themed version of Pygmalion is currently playing at The Motley Bauhaus – Theatrette until October 13th as part of 2024 Melbourne Fringe.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/pygmalion
https://www.instagram.com/houseofpygmalion