Pygmalion & Other Plays

George Bernard Shaw wrote more than sixty plays and this new volume brings three of his comedies together in one volume – each one is witty, entertaining and has embedded into it Shaw’s intense concerns about poverty, class and inequality.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition has a preface by Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench.

Pygmalion was first performed in 1914 and was an instant hit. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl, who, as an experiment, is given elocution lessons by Professor Henry Higgins to see if he can pass her off as a lady. In Major Barbara, idealistic Barbara is a major in the Salvation Army whilst her father Andrew Undershaft is a millionaire armaments manufacturer.

A battle rages between the two of them as they fight over the question, does salvation come through faith or finance? Androcles and the Lion is a comedy about a gentle Christian who pulls a thorn from a lion’s paw. When the Romans try to feed him to the lions, his kindness is repaid.

About the Author

George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin in 1856 and moved to London in 1876. He initially wrote novels then went on to achieve fame through his career as a journalist, critic and public speaker. A committed and active socialist, he was one of the leaders of the Fabian Society. He was a prolific and much lauded playwright and was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. He died in 1950.