Reader Reviews
Pygmalion (Garrick Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | I thought Kara Tointon was very good as the cockney Eliza but she showed signs that she was not the best actress in the 2nd half and her performance was lacklustre - she did not have chemistry at all with Alastair McGovern and he too, lapsed in the 2nd half. The supporting cast was brilliant and the best thing about it. Poor sets - very mediocre and let the performance down. I think Tointon was not trained enough as an actress to carry a West End production of that calibre - slightly amateurish. - Laura | 01 Sep 11 |
| Excellent production all round. At times, we laughed so much that we had tears in our eyes! Any disappointment that Kara Tointon was indisposed was soon dispelled by Rebecca Birch's really marvellous performance as Eliza. It was a privilege to have seen her. McGowan was a fine Higgins and Diana Rigg was a wonderfully understated Mrs Higgins. - WG | 27 Aug 11 |
| I saw Pygmalion yesterday with Alistair McGowan, I thought he was a fantastic Prof Higgins, very engaging, at first very dissapointed to find when we arrived at theatre that Kara Tointon was "indisposed" and her understudy, Rebecca Birch was taking the part of Eliza Doolitle, I was told Rebecca stood in with very little notice. She was absolutely wonderful! Amazing! Though we had gone to see Kara, we thought Rebecca was fantastic. At times difficult to hear Diana Rigg. Michael Feast was very funny as Alfred Doolittle. Came out of theatre with a very "feel good" factor! - MS | 26 Aug 11 |
| This production is entertaining (although I found myself wishing for Tim Piggott-Smith and Michelle Dockery, who were brilliant three years ago at the Old Vic, to take the place of the two leads here). Rupert Everett is far more dashing than Piggott-Smith, and is a far more likely lover for Eliza too, so the potential is there to make a greater emotional wrench between Higgins and Eliza. But that does not happen. While I was seduced by Everett's vampiric stubbled jaded heroin-chic surface, he lacked substance in the first half, unable to convincingly spar with Peter Eyre's wonderful Pickering, or properly engage with Tointon's somewhat pantomime, but nonetheless amusing Eliza. In the second half, Everett is far more effective, conveying a touching despondency that is probably rooted in the actor's own essence, as he and Eliza struggle to find common ground. Diana Rigg is note perfect as Higgin's mother. The production looks beautiful, but Eliza's actual transformation is skimmed over too quickly. It will be very interesting when Alistair McGowan takes over from Everett, as McGowan does exhuberance and madness very well (as evidenced from his crazy dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, a while back), so I'm convinced the first half will improve with his appearance, but I'm equally suspicious that the second half will be worse. Tim Piggott-Smith, I miss you. - Steve | 13 Aug 11 |
| I saw this last night and I have to say I was suprisingly impressed with the production. The entire cast was amazing and I especially loved seeing Kara & Rupert in their respective roles. Would never have thought that someone from Eastenders could be so good on stage, in a play that isn't a musical. Yes there are small niggles but overall you forget these amongst the stellar cast and set beauty. I loved seeing the transformation of Eliza, but i must admit i was a tad bit disappointed at not seeing a full ball scene or perhaps a bit more during the actual transformation because when Kara comes out after the interval dressed in the ball gown she looks STUNNING! Other than that it really is a lovely evening out, the tea party scene is hilarious and has everyone laughing! A must watch! - NC | 10 Aug 11 |
| Don't take the rear stalls at the Garrick - they are absolutely awful. If you are slightly short and the person in front is slightly taller all but the sides of the stage are obscured. Hopeless and not acceptable. A good performance ruined by rubbish seating. I will not be returning to the Garrick again. - Ian | 07 Aug 11 |
| Kara Tointon was superb. Michael Feast (Alfred Doolitle) was very good and all the supporting cast were excellent. The production is somewhat visually static (not much movement and most of the characters in a line on stage). Everett's Higgins sparkles in parts, but I'm not sure if he quite found his character. A very solid production with one stand-out scene (the tea party). However, as it's the Garrick, don't go for the dreaded rear stalls (don't go any further back in the stalls than about row 'J'). - Bob Lockie | 03 Aug 11 |
| Extremely disappointing!! There was very little chemistry between Higgins and Eliza which left the whole thing flat and rather tedious. Rupert Everett seemed distracted or uninterested and unfortunately Eliza and her father overacted to the point where both of their characters became unbelievable. The minor characters too seemed to struggle to inject some energy and life into the play. There was one scene however that was entertaining and that was the tea party where Kara was very funny but unfortunately that was it. - P Gregory | 22 Jul 11 |
| An interesting production, but Eliza and Higgins gave only lacklustre performances. Too many of the cast seemed to think they were still working on television and spoke so quietly that their voices failed to reach the 12th row of the stalls with any clarity (Roberta Taylor was practically inaudible.) They also talked through the laughter, throwing away lines by the handful. Diana Rigg gave an excellent performance, and stole every scene she was in, with an economy of effort that was delightful to watch. Michael Feast was a very funny Doolittle, refreshingly different from the stock loud-mouthed Cockney. Sadly not nearly as good as it should have been. A disappointing evening. - A. Smith | 13 Jul 11 |
| Very disapointing - Everett was elsewhere not even interested - in fact almost bored - Eliza worked hard and was superb - two people left at the interval !! - Stephen Charles | 11 Jul 11 |
| I have always preferred this to the musical version My Fair Lady--only trouble is because of the fame of the latter, when you watch Pygmalion, you think that they will burst into song at any moment. Great staging and a good cast. Rupert Everett was a good Higgins though sometimes he seemed awkward in the role but still very watchable. The best was Kara Tointon----superb in both parts of her role and after the ball she looked gorgeous and was infact very alike Audrey Hepburn in looks. Diana Rigg as always delivered well her small part. One thing I would have liked is that there should have been a ball scene--it seemed to be a bit of let down that after all the hype of passing Eliza off as a Duchess at the ball, that we don't get to see her do her part, we had to just hear about in Higgins study after the Ball. Mind you to compensate a little, the scene when Eliza is taken to Mrs Higgins for tea was great and Kara was in top form with "Those that pinched it, done her in" etc. A great night of theatre - Joe Spiteri | 28 May 11 |
