Pygmalion and Galatea (play) Pygmalion and Galatea (play) Pygmalion and Galatea, an Original Mythological Comedy is a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert in three acts based on the Pygmalion story. It opened at the Haymarket Theatre in London on 9 December 1871 and ran for a very successful 184 performances. It was revived many times, including an 1883 production in New York starring Mary Anderson as Galatea, an 1883–84 revival at the Lyceum Theatre, again with Anderson, and an 1888 production at the Lyceum Theatre, with Julia Neilson as Cynisca. "Pygmalion" was Gilbert's greatest success to that date and is said to
The Happy Land "How shabby!" Soon the three male fairies return with news from the Fairy King: they may enjoy the privilege of "popular government." Selene rejects this with horror. The fairies will "Leave such blessings to a happy land." Gilbert created several blank verse "fairy comedies" at the Haymarket Theatre in the early 1870s beginning with "The Palace of Truth" (1870) and "Pygmalion and Galatea" (1871). "The Wicked World" was the third of these, and "The Happy Land" followed so soon on its heels that the two plays ran simultaneously. The plot of "The Happy Land" and "The Wicked World" clearly fascinated