You know the story, you know the names. Henry Higgins (Coen Flink) annoys and astounds a group of people sheltering from the rain with his knowledge of regional accents by which he can deduce a person's place of origin. A poor flower seller with quite possibly the worst accent he's ever encountered by the name of Eliza Doolittle (Willeke Alberti) follows him home to take up his mock-serious offer of teaching her how to speak properly. Together with his new friend and colleague Pickering, Higgens takes it upon himself to do just that.
After their successful pairing in the well remembered television drama 'De Kleine Waarheid', Flink and Alberti are reunited, and this time there is not a single musical note to be heard emanating from anyone's mouth. (even in the 1937 version Lily Bouwmeester hummed a few ditties). Apparently Alberti wanted to prove she could hold her own as an actress without having to resort to doing what she was (and is) most famous for: her singing voice. Also, unlike the aforementioned thirties version, this Pygmalion is situated in England despite being spoken in Dutch (and Willeke's pronounced Amsterdam accent).
Ko van Dijk, probably the best respected Dutch Thespian at that time, handles the stage direction and plays the amusing part of father Doolittle while another acting powerhouse, Mary Dresselhuys portrays Higgin's mother. Allard van der Scheer, who is often prone to shameless overacting, is remarkably restrained as Higgin's friend and colleague Captain Pickering (maybe it's because he's not wearing his usual spectacles).
This TV adaption goes through all the motions, yet seems to spend less time on the actual teaching of Eliza than other versions. As such, it is an adequate, if somewhat unremarkable version of the play. Willeke effortlessly holds her own against all the other thespians surrounding her, though the loudmouth nature of the part does occasionally become a tad annoying. Bit she can hardly be blamed for that. It's the way the role is written.
6 out of 10
