A PEARL BEFORE SWINE

Based on Shaw’s PYGMALION and the legend of Anastasia of Russia
1918 Period Drama, Public Domain since 2010 and 1977 respectively

Having previously transformed Eliza Doolittle from a lowly street-girl
into a “consort for a king”, in 1918 Prof Henry Higgins must now
hide the 17 yr old Imperial Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia as a
lowly household scrub-girl from the Bolshevik Secret Police on their
mission to complete the Royal Family’s execution with impunity.

A young lady of Royal privilege is forced into the harsh realities of common-folk and a common young man becomes her hero.

Historical Drama, Action, possibly Musical
Under 25 & Teens: young Male & Female leads, tie-in to High School lessons
Over 25 Male & Female: previous success and curiosity of story evolution

Combines film classics DR. ZHIVAGO and MY FAIR LADY still popular today

Premise:
After the 1917 Russian Revolution, VIKTOR was assigned to guard the Royal Family in captivity for almost a year, and got to know Anastasia quite well enough to fall in love with her.

Viktor manipulates The CAPTAIN’S Duty List to get himself
assigned as an executioner to Anastasia, then loads his gun with
blanks and secretly gives her a strong sedative to take when the Firing Squad
assembles the Czar’s Royal Family.
Later, when the bodies are removed, he defiantly escapes with hers in a wagon.

He brings her 3000 miles to London, where she may have more family besides the Royals and they can put their school-taught English to good use.
They traveled mostly by freight train but walked, sometimes for days, to avoid Official border crossings in Europe.
All the while, Anastasia is sick with grief and influenza ... and hunger...

When they get to London, Viktor’s contact at the Embassy, received a telegram that the Bolshevik Secret Police will be there within the month, but they have never heard of Prof Henry Higgins, and they will be safe there.
The Agents will of course, deny their intention to kill Anastasia.
But, she can prove the Bolsheviks’ unconstitutional and abusive actions which compromise their political power and take the rule of Russia away from them. She is just disposable baggage for them to gain lifelong favor and promotion within Party ranks.

Viktor pleads with a VERY reluctant Prof. Henry Higgins to hide her here, but he refuses to take the risks until ELIZA convinces him that The Imperial Grand Duchess of Russia would be easier to hide if she were just a working class scrub-girl.