“Buy a flower from a poor girl? They're damn fine.”
A comedy about snobbery, love, morality, and prejudice – or how to become the star of a diplomatic soirée in just three months
Pygmalion is originally a figure from ancient mythology—a sculptor who created an ivory statue of Aphrodite and fell in love with his own creation. The goddess answered his prayers and brought the statue to life. The most famous adaptation of this myth is undoubtedly the stage play by George Bernard Shaw.
Some may find that the story of flower girl Eliza Doolittle and phonetics professor Higgins bears a striking resemblance to the Cinderella fairy tale—a man from high society transforms an ordinary girl into a lady. The famous musical My Fair Lady embraced this interpretation perfectly. Shaw, however, consistently opposed this romanticized version of the story. After all, he titled his play Pygmalion—and Pygmalion was a deeply narcissistic sculptor, incapable of connection, who created a woman in his own image. Shaw was a master of irony: a man teaches a woman how to speak, yet is unable to talk to her. He was also quite the provocateur, delighting in scandal—he even had Eliza use vulgar language, which caused a stir on Victorian stages at the time. That’s just how things used to be.
Michal Lang’s production brings Eliza closer to the contemporary Czech audience. Her humble origins are reflected through a northeastern Moravian dialect—typical for one of the country’s former heavy industry regions. The classical work is also updated through numerous references to steampunk aesthetics, not only in set design, costumes, and props.
Directed by: Michal Lang
Premiere: March 7, 2025, in the Grand Hall
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviews:
“Gajdošíková shapes Eliza’s transformation into a confident woman with subtle clarity. Her final pride is powerful. Jan Teplý is clearly at the peak of his acting career: vocally and physically versatile, expressive, agile—his performance is almost acrobatic in service of the role. Petr Reif, Igor Bareš (as Eliza’s father Alfred Doolittle), and Marie Málková (as Higgins’s mother) embody their characters with seasoned elegance. They form a resonant backdrop for the central duo.”
Josef Chuchma, Divadelní noviny, March 2025
“Michal Lang’s long-standing approach to the Libeň stage—carefully curating the repertoire and revisiting older, often well-known works with contemporary, ambitious, and relevant forms (providing a stage for great performances)—is once again on display in his latest production of Pygmalion.”
Marcela Magdová, aktualne.cz, March 19, 2025
“Director Michal Lang succeeds brilliantly with the initial shock effect. His Pygmalion at Prague’s Divadlo pod Palmovkou kicks off in an explosive spirit that would surely delight even the original author.”
Irena Jirků, Hospodářské noviny, April 4, 2025
“Kudos also go to Lenka Hollá’s impeccable set design—even the rain at the beginning evokes London weather. The production flows smoothly, with no dull moments. The projections fit perfectly into the narrative. In every way, the performance is excellent and worth seeing. After the premiere, the creative team justly received prolonged standing ovations.”
Jaromír Hampl, atzijedivadlo.cz, April 17, 2025
Audience Reactions:
“First and foremost, Pygmalion is a clever comedy (very British, complete with an opening rain scene) with an ambiguous ending instead of a traditional happy one, and even feminist undertones by today's standards. The production shows that Palmovka is a great theatre, with consistent performances that avoid overacting—surely the result of Michal Lang’s direction. The show moves at a brisk pace, the use of film projections is interesting, and the robots are a witty touch. Naturally, the play is a great opportunity for the excellent Pavla Gajdošíková. And finally, what a delight to see a legend of Czech theatre—still fresh and graceful—Marie Málková, on stage!”
Jerman, 80%, i-divadlo, March 21, 2025