{"id":461274,"date":"2026-04-30T11:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T11:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/461274\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T11:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T11:01:12","slug":"in-the-other-bennet-sister-a-pride-and-prejudice-oddball-is-the-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/461274\/","title":{"rendered":"In ‘The Other Bennet Sister,\u2019 a ‘Pride and Prejudice’ oddball is the star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s the day of the Netherfield Ball and Ella Bruccoleri is nervous. We\u2019re on the set of \u201cThe Other Bennet Sister,<\/a>\u201d a 10-episode adaptation of Janice Hadlow\u2019s beloved novel<\/a>, and Bruccoleri is preparing to perform a song as Mary Bennet. On this particularly sunny July day, the production has taken over Dyffryn Gardens<\/a>, a National Trust estate outside of Cardiff in Wales. Crew members are packed into the entry hall as preparations are made to shoot the big scene inside one of the grand rooms.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, that means the only place Bruccoleri can rehearse is in a tent on the front lawn. She is dressed as Mary in a beige gown and wire-framed glasses, and she\u2019s feeling the pressure of this particular moment from Episode 2, where Mary takes it upon herself to sing and play piano to impress Mr. Collins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in a band in real life,\u201d Bruccoleri says. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m an amazing singer, but today I have to do this badly. And you can practice as many times as you want, then suddenly you\u2019re doing it in front of the camera and in front of the crowd and it all goes to pot. Mary has taken this really happy song and made it slow and sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scene is famously depicted in Jane Austin\u2019s \u201cPride and Prejudice\u201d from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet, who entreats their father to step in and prevent Mary from showcasing a second musical number. But in \u201cThe Other Bennet Sister,\u201d premiering May 6 on BritBox with three episodes, everything is filtered through Mary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very much anchored to Mary in every scene because it\u2019s her story,\u201d says Jennifer Sheridan, who directed Episode 2. \u201cWe get to see the Mary beyond the \u2018Pride and Prejudice\u2019 version, who was just kind of haughty. We get to see that version too, where she\u2019s playing that she doesn\u2019t care, but in other moments we see she feels so deeply. She is a very sensitive soul who\u2019s been beaten down by societal pressures on women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary\u2019s humiliation at the Netherfield Ball was originally what triggered Hadlow\u2019s interest in writing a novel from the perspective of the less-discussed Bennet sister. Although Mary has a presence in \u201cPride and Prejudice,\u201d there is little empathy for her.<\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

In \u201cThe Other Bennet Sister,\u201d Bruccoleri had to perform a humiliating moment as Mary at the Netherfield Ball: \u201cMary has taken this really happy song and made it slow and sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

(James Pardon \/ BritBox)<\/p>\n

\u201cI suddenly thought, \u2018What must have that have been like to be Mary and to have been publicly humiliated in that way?\u2019\u201d says Hadlow over a video call. \u201cThat made me think more about what the whole novel looked like from her point of view. Austen tells you quite clearly that Mary has become this bookish, studious, rather priggish young woman because it\u2019s made clear to her by the family that she can never compete with any of her sisters in any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hadlow\u2019s novel was optioned for TV before its release in 2020 and producer Jane Tranter enlisted Sarah Quintrell to adapt the book. \u201cIt\u2019s quite scary to go into that world in the UK,\u201d says Quintrell over a video call about adapting a story based in the Austen universe. \u201cBut it\u2019s really a coming-of-age story about being the odd one out and I felt such a connection to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quintrell largely stayed true to the novel, although she had to distill a lot of the story down to fit the vignette-like episodic format. There are a few new characters, like Ann Baxter (Varada Sethu), and some scenes were invented for the show. Hadlow offered notes and guidance throughout the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cJanice was brilliant about letting us adapt it the right way,\u201d Quintrell says. \u201cI loved the book so much I nearly curtsied when I first met her, so I think she knew that every time I asked about changes it was always coming from a place of love and respect for the book.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very keen to try and keep a sense of a language that I tried to write in the book,\u201d Hadlow adds. \u201cI wanted it to have some of the resonances of the way Austen writes \u2014 the way they address each other and the formality of the society. I didn\u2019t want it to sound as though it was a pastiche, and I think Sarah has captured that brilliantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hadlow\u2019s novel was invaluable to Bruccoleri, who appears in nearly every scene of the show. Like her bookish character, she did extensive research on \u201cPride and Prejudice,\u201d Austen and the time period. She highlighted moments in Hadlow\u2019s book and made extensive notes.<\/p>\n

\"Sheet <\/p>\n

Sheet music for Schubert\u2019s \u201cPiano Sonata No. 13\u201d on the set of \u201cThe Other Bennet Sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

(James Pardon \/ BritBox)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a massive book and it goes into so much detail, so I basically used it as a Bible for breaking down moment by moment what was going on in Mary\u2019s head,\u201d Bruccoleri says. \u201cIt was so helpful for me. Normally for smaller roles you get cast a couple of weeks in advance and you\u2019re just thrown into it. For this I had about nine weeks, which feels like a Robert De Niro amount of time to prep for something.\u201d<\/p>\n

That preparation included lessons in calligraphy, horseback riding, piano and Regency dancing. She spent a day at Merthyr Mawr House<\/a>, which stands in for the Bennet home of Longbourn House, ahead of production. \u201cI asked if I could spend a day in Mary\u2019s bedroom and just hung out and read my books in there,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve never had the opportunity to do stuff like that for a role before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hadlow and Bruccoleri didn\u2019t have any conversations about Mary, but the author says that Bruccoleri\u2019s approach \u201cshows in the performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve felt watching her that this is somebody who really understands who Mary is,\u201d Hadlow says. \u201cIf she was called upon to say, \u2018What do you think Mary would do in such a situation?\u2019 you feel she\u2019d have an answer. She really entered into the character and understands her dilemma.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cast consists of a few well-known actors, including Ruth Jones as Mrs. Bennet, Richard E. Grant as Mr. Bennet and Indira Varma as Mrs. Gardiner. But there\u2019s also a spotlight on up-and-coming talent like Bruccoleri. \u201cYoung Sherlock\u201d star D\u00f3nal Finn<\/a> plays Tom Hayward, a potential love interest for Mary, and Laurie Davidson plays the dashing William Ryder, who also catches Mary\u2019s fancy. Tanya Reynolds offers a broader glimpse of Caroline Bingley, a character who often belittles Mary.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a really misunderstood human being,\u201d Reynolds says. \u201cIn \u2018Pride and Prejudice\u2019 she is the antagonist. And she is antagonistic in many ways. She\u2019s cruel and sarcastic and cutting, but all of that has to come from somewhere. And I think it comes from this deep insecurity she has. She\u2019s also a victim of the period.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Other Bennet Sister,\u201d like \u201cPride and Prejudice,\u201d is set in the early 19th century, a time when women had few choices, other than to marry or suffer. Without a male heir for Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet knows she has to secure strong matches for her five daughters \u2014 Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert), Jane (Maddie Close), Lydia (Grace Hogg-Robinson), Kitty (Molly Wright) and Mary.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Behind the scenes on the set of \u201cThe Other Bennet Sister,\u201d where Bruccoleri is performing the famous scene as Mary singing and playing the piano poorly. (James Pardon \/ BritBox) <\/p>\n

\"Two <\/p>\n

Mary (Bruccoleri) with Charlotte Lucas, played by Anna Fenton-Garvey. (James Pardon \/ BritBox) <\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s desperate,\u201d Jones says. \u201cThese women have got nothing because Longbourn will go to the nearest male relative. It\u2019s shocking. And there are these five daughters who are essentially going to be left homeless unless they marry somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones came to think of Mrs. Bennet as a businesswoman who needs to offload properties \u2014 four of them will get snapped up \u2014 but Mary\u2019s not moving. \u201cShe\u2019s reduced the price. She can\u2019t shift this property and it\u2019s become a bit of a millstone around her neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first two episodes follow the events of \u201cPride and Prejudice\u201d from Mary\u2019s point of view. There are hints about the courtships between Jane and Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but the audience stays with Mary. The rest of the series is about what happens when Mary goes to London to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and begins to see the world outside of her family. We also see what happens to the Bennet women and how the relationships between them unfold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get to see Elizabeth as the lady of the house, which I always thought would be an interesting mode to see her in because I don\u2019t think that\u2019s something she ever imagined for herself,\u201d Gilbert says. \u201cShe holds herself well and takes herself quite seriously in becoming the lady of a house. Because I love \u2018Pride and Prejudice\u2019 I really wanted Lizzie to be likable. But in this instance, we\u2019re seeing her through Mary\u2019s eyes and it\u2019s important that we see the truth that Lizzie didn\u2019t always stand up for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith \u2018Pride and Prejudice,\u2019 Mrs. Bennet is Lizzie\u2019s Mrs. Bennet,\u201d Jones adds. \u201cAnd her relationship with Lizzie is a different relationship, whereas this is Mary\u2019s perspective. I absolutely took the script as my starting point, not previous iterations of the character.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Other Bennet Sister\u201d is exceptionally relatable. Gilbert notes that by the end of the show everyone will think, \u201cI guess I\u2019m not Lizzie. I\u2019m Mary. And lucky me.\u201d There were a lot of conversations on set about how to ensure that Mary felt like an everyday hero and remained grounded. She wears her glasses in romantic scenes and she embraces her own unique sense of style.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s really not your average Regency heroine,\u201d Quintrell says. \u201cI took this further even than the book \u2014 she\u2019s bad at small talk, she is incredibly socially awkward, she can\u2019t ride a horse. Nothing comes naturally to her. And we don\u2019t put women like that at the center of any story, particularly in period drama. And we don\u2019t change her. We allow her to come into her confidence on her own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u201cShe's <\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s really not your average Regency heroine,\u201d says Sarah Quintrell, who adapted the story for TV, about Mary Bennet. <\/p>\n

(James Pardon \/ BritBox)<\/p>\n

Bruccoleri describes Mary as an ordinary, grounded woman. \u201cThere are all those cliches in so many movies where the woman takes off her glasses and suddenly everyone\u2019s like, \u2018Oh my God, she\u2019s really hot,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cWe said, \u2018Let\u2019s push back against that stereotype as much as possible.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds that when Mary is \u201cauthentic to herself, people are drawn to that. The things that Mary has been told are her flaws become the things that people love about her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, though, is not Mary\u2019s day. Bruccoleri is soon summoned inside Dyffryn Gardens, where one of the rooms has been transformed into a Regency ballroom. Bruccoleri runs through a few rehearsals with the rest of the cast in place, but loses her way. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I\u2019ve buckled under the pressure,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Sheridan, who is directing, sends everyone out and Bruccoleri soon nails it. \u201cDon\u2019t panic, Ella,\u201d a crew member says, encouragingly. \u201cBut do panic in the scene,\u201d Sheridan reminds her.<\/p>\n

We watch on the monitors as Bruccoleri perfectly mimes the piano along to a track and unleashes out-of-tune vocals that are horribly dour. Gilbert, as Elizabeth, whispers to Grant, as Mr. Bennet. He approaches Mary at the piano. \u201cYou have delighted us long enough,\u201d Grant intones, repeating Austen\u2019s famous line.<\/p>\n

Bruccoleri later apologizes for making me witness \u201cthe horror\u201d of the day. But without the scene there would be nowhere for Mary to ascend. It\u2019s her journey that makes the show so compelling. The Netherfield Ball is a particularly low moment, but things will not always be this bad.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get to celebrate these small victories in her life as the show goes on,\u201d Bruccoleri says. \u201cAnd nothing super dramatic happens. It\u2019s a simple story about a young woman finding her place in the world. And that\u2019s really close to life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s the day of the Netherfield Ball and Ella Bruccoleri is nervous. We\u2019re on the set of \u201cThe…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":461275,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[263],"tags":[202836,202839,2584,18,202838,202832,117,19,17,202833,202840,9202,327,202835,202834,202831,71326,53239,202837,9223],"class_list":["post-461274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-beloved-novel","tag-big-scene","tag-book","tag-eire","tag-elizabeth-bennet","tag-ella-bruccoleri","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-janice-hadlow","tag-lizzie","tag-mary","tag-movies","tag-mrs-bennet","tag-other-bennet-sister","tag-prejudice","tag-pride","tag-ruth-jones","tag-sarah-quintrell","tag-woman"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116493319578135321","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=461274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/461275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=461274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=461274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=461274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}