The company's artistic director Jackie Maxwell stages the classic about language and grammar expert Henry Higgins (Jim Mezon), who changes the speech — and the social standing — of flower girl Eliza (Tara Rosling) in 1912 London.

Lorne Kennedy is Col. Pickering, with Simon Bradbury as Alfred Doolittle, Patricia Hamilton as Mrs. Higgins and Nora McLellan as Mrs. Pearce, as well as Neil Barclay, Anthony Bekenn, Adam Brazier, Jillian Cook, Richard Farrell, Élodie Gillett, Mark Harapiak, Lisa Horner, Evert Houston, Patty Jamieson, Al Kozlik, Shannon McCaig, Catherine McGregor, Joanne Mendioro, Micheal Querin, Kiera Sangster and Ashley Taylor.

According to Shaw Festival notes, "After German-language performances in Vienna and Berlin in October 1913, the play premiered in London the next April in a production featuring the charismatic Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Eliza, a part that Shaw had literally written for her. The play was an immediate success and it toured widely in the years that followed. Famous interpretations of the play include the 1938 film version starring Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller and, of course, the 1956 musical version My Fair Lady. This is The Shaw's fifth production of this landmark play."

Sets and costumes are designed by Sue LePage, lighting is designed by Kevin Lamotte, and composer Marc Desormeaux has designed original music and sound for the production.

Pygmalion plays in repertory to Nov. 27. The Shaw Festival presents works that are set in, relate to or were written during the period in which Bernard Shaw lived. For information, visit www.shawfest.com.