George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was an Irish dramatist and political activist who is widely regarded as the second most influential English language playwright, following Shakespeare. In 1876, Shaw moved to London where he embarked on a career as a writer and critic. It was not until Arms and the Man (1894) was written that Shaw became widely recognized as a serious playwright. His stark realism and strong political, economic, and moral views within much of his sixty-two plays transformed the direction of modern dramatic arts. Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925.

Pygmalion (1914), unquestionably George Bernard Shaw's most popular play, is a comedic masterpiece of love and the British class system. It tells the story of the transformation of a young cockney girl's life, and the entanglements that follow. The play is the basis for the immensely popular musical, My Fair Lady.