September 15, 2026
Classic Comedy Sees a Flower Girl Blossom into a “Duchess”
A rags-to-riches transformation from poor flower girl to regal duchess is at the heart of a costume drama coming to Sheringham Little Theatre.
Pygmalion charts the class-climbing experiment by professor Henry Higgins to pass Cockney Eliza Doolittle off as nobility to win a bet.
Elocution lessons change the way she speaks in George Bernard Shaw’s Edwardian comedy which was later turned into the stage musical and movie My Fair Lady.
The Little Theatre Community Players production, running from November 11-14, sees familiar faces Anna Ryan as Eliza, and Rod Feistinger as language expert Higgins who sees her as an experiment.
Director Hazel Martin said: “I am so looking forward to staging this play having directed My Fair Lady, my favourite musical, twice at Aylsham High School when I was a drama teacher there.
“The play has a different ending to the musical, but I just love the characters and storyline. The cast are great. The main challenge is doing it on a split stage, with three acts on one part, and two on another.”
Anna Ryan, 25 from Norwich, said playing Eliza is “a joy” with her determination to better herself during a major transformation from “common to posh” with the hardest test being the “bit in the middle as she gradually changes.”
Other cast members are John Griffin as Colonel Pickering who funds the project, David Robinson as Eliza’s father Alfred Doolittle, Philippa Baillie as Henry’s mother Mrs Higgins who disapproves of her son’s behaviour, and Hilary Lester as housekeeper Mrs Pearce
Torin Beatty plays Freddy Eynsford-Hill who falls in love with Eliza, with Paris Mullen as his sister. Their mother Mrs Eynsford Hill, who strives for an upper class lifestyle despite her modest means, is played by Janet Hignett.
Pygmalion runs from Wednesday November 11 to Saturday November 14 at 7.30pm nightly plus a Saturday 2.30 matinee.
