(T) Oct 14, 2005 - Pygmalion (a Limerick)

Break-a-Leg attempts her first limerick... (ampun ya!)


An Irish he was, George Bernard Shaw
Malaysians watched his Pygmalion raw
  A tale of language, class and manners
  “Hey, it’s what’s in the heart that matters!”
Then, KLPac’s classed-seats were a flaw?

Paul Loosley’s quirky direction
Made hybrid interpretation
  A British-Edwardian closet
  In Malaysian culture it set
Man’s values for contemplation

Cast of fourteen; orchestra six
Conductor-in-kilt, a cute mix
  Though composer and lyricist
  Anonymity they insist
All in, the audience they transfix

Both script and song in can’t-repent Manglish
“Don’t Talk Like That One” was almost English
  So began the Overture
  Of an unusual nature
A prologue for Shaw worthy of relish

Kaki Lima sets the path for intros
To characters with impressive credos
  Prof Harun Higgins was lingering
  With Colonel Sankeran Pickering
Besides two Ladies, both screeching psychos

Young Freddy the taxi-getter
Knocked Lisa’s flowers, that bugger
  “I am just a Muddy Bunga”
  She rendered in brilliant raga
For moneys’ sake, does pride matter?

Later at Higgins’ Laboratory
Work on Lisa was exploratory
  How could he not twitch
  with phonetics itch?
To pass her as Datin is victory!

Sponsor Pickering debates
“Should I ask for rebates?”
  “Ai Ah, Ah Doi, Ai Yo,
  “Ai Ah, Ah Doi, Ai Yo,”
Let’s see what fate dictates

He’s willing, and wanting and waiting to tell
That his Ms ‘Too’Little, he’s willing to sell
  But that Mr ‘Tew’Little
  His rhetoric a tad brittle
Too many a time his elocution fell

Some scenes with less articulation
Drew laughs with literal description
  “That’s where the racket is coming from”
  While “dropped your ‘hand’ phone” is great sitcom
There’s plenty of room for great diction

To Mrs Higgin’s Salon
Lisa was brought to test-con
  Could she small talk?
  Or make guests balk?
Will her future be forlorn?

“What a Great Success” this project
Surely marriage proposals she’d expect
  “Well here’s your slipper,
  You no-good fibber
I’m naught but an all-class reject!”

The musical was too draggy
The clock showed almost twelve pagi
  The climax came at last
  Where Lisa made a blast
At Higgins, who went rickety

The difference between a lady
and a flower girl in the alley
  Is the manner in which she’s treated
  Gentlemen, more respect is needed
Enough of ego, pride and bully

So what of language, class and manners?
So what if we better our letters?
  There’s really no need for snobbery
  Mr Kueh Teow pays cash for Camry
For Peroduas, we seek bankers.

Pygmalion plays 14 – 30 Oct 2005, at Pentas 1, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. For more information, call 03-40479000 or email tickets@klpac.com.

p.s. Susan Yung (Village Voice)… you started it! :p