RULA LENSKA ON PYGMALION: 'THE WHOLE THING IS AN ADJUSTMENT...'

The more some things change, the more they stay the same  – and some things don't age, they remain relevant. Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion is one such piece of work. Currently touring the UK one hundred years on from it's first stage outing, the story of a young lady being taken from the gutter and transformed into a Duchess can draw similarities with today's society. So says Rula Lenska who will star in Pygmalion when it begins a five day stay at Milton Keynes Theatre tomorrow (May 27). “Today you can parallel it to somebody winning the lottery or coming out of the Big Brother house – you know, for a week of fame and everybody wanting to know about you. “Then what do you do afterwards? “There is a very strong social comment within the play which is pertinent today,” Rula adds. Pygmalion proved the inspiration behind the hugely successful musical My Fair Lady, of course. Rula will play Mrs Higgins opposite BAFTA award-winning Alistair McGowan's portrayal of Henry Higgins. As the aristocratic and egocentric Professor of Phonetics, Henry Higgins makes a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering that he will be able to transform the manners and speech of Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle. But will he really be able to pass her off as a lady in society? Alistair is reprising a role he originally played at the Garrick Theatre in 2011. And don't be mistaken in thinking that McGowan is 'only' an impressionist and comic. More recently his acting ability has wowed, and he received an Olivier Award nomination for his role in Little Shop of Horrors. Former Eastender and stage familiar Jamie Foreman is cast as Alfred Doolittle, with rising star Rachel Barry as Eliza. Rula revealed the cast had vocal coaching to prepare them for the roles: “...because the way English was pronounced in the 1900s was slightly different from how it is today,” she told us. “You have to find a different way of speaking, a different way of moving your mouth, moving your tongue, a different way of sitting and standing because you wear a corset. “The whole thing is an adjustment, which is very exciting...” To make a booking call the box office on 0844 871 7652 or go online to www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes   Rula shares her theatrical memories with www.totalmk.co.uk here: http://www.totalmk.co.uk/on-stage-rula-lenska-stars-in-pygmalion-at-mk-theatre/