Postcolonial Self-Creation in the Hong Kong Adaptation of Pygmalion Available to Purchase

Following the handover of sovereignty from Britain to China in 1997, Hong Kong embarked on a renewed exploration of its cultural identity. This quest for identity found a powerful resonance in the late-1997 musical adaptation of Pygmalion, titled Yao Tiao Shu Nv (Lovely is This Noble Lady). This article argues that the musical’s success stemmed from the underlying themes of colonialism and postcolonialism present in George Bernard Shaw’s original work. By recreating the setting, the characterization, and the soundscape of a Hong Kong in its early colonial years, the adaptation negotiates cultural identity within the specific context of postcolonial Hong Kong.