Original Writer: Jane Austen
Adaptor: Isobel McArthur
Director: Isobel McArthur
The twin genius of Jane Austen and Isobel McArthur colliding in this brilliantly funny piece of theatre is a guarantee of a great night out, and the company of Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) truly deliver. The all-female cast of five play the novel’s every character and yet it is the ones that don’t get a mention that we meet first at Leeds Grand Theatre this week.
Against the sweeping staircase of Ana Ines Jabares-Pita’s versatile and imposing set, the cast appear cleaning the moulded plaster work of the auditorium. With feather dusters and toilet brushes and sporting marigolds, the unseen – but all-seeing servants of Pemberley and Longbourn have tales to tell and tell it they do. Leaping in and out of quick-release costumes or attitudes, these brilliant young actors don’t miss a trick as they recount and inhabit every notable character of Austen’s most famous novel.
Rhianna McGreevey is a superb Mrs Bennet – hideously loud and vulgar as she thrusts two of her daughters into the lime light whilst simultaneously shoving another into a cupboard. Switching seamlessly then to the upright and reserved Mr Darcy, deportment is everything – and yet this is how his reserve and arrogance is conveyed – without so much as a wet shirt to hand.
Emma Rose Creaner is clearly having a great time as both the Bingley siblings – charmingly devoted as Charles and delightfully vile as Caroline before becoming a puritanically dull Charlotte Lucas. Christine Steel plays Jane beautifully before she magically appears, almost like a pantomime dame, in the guise of Lady Catherine de Burgh in all her haughty vanity. Eleanor Kane is wonderfully and excruciatingly annoying as Lydia Bennet before switching with even more gusto into the role of the vilely smarmy and supercilious Mr Collins. Naomi Preston Law’s Lizzie is spirited and witty and leaves the audience in no doubt of her bewitching qualities. Mr Bennet smoulders with a leathery and yet studious sturdiness – inspired – if you know, you know!
To get some of the production’s in-jokes it helps to know the novel and film adaptations well, but that’s to take nothing away from the great story telling here. In fact, the glorious and hilarious thing about it is that it’s like having all the characters ramped up to the max – like a fine flavour reduction, this is a delectable and condensed taste of a highly-flavoured classic.
Writer and director Isobel McArthur had fabulous source material from which to craft this masterful gem. Weaving into it the well-chosen musical numbers heightens the comedy in every scene. Saving poor Mary’s song until the end (having forbidden her from performing throughout), only to have her blast the number out with more musicality than she was ever given credit for was a master stroke and guaranteed a great whoop of joy to go out on.
For all that this is a sweary, raunchy, anachronistic laugh-out-loud interpretation, it is easy to believe that Jane Austen herself would be rolling in the aisles as her story is retold to a spell bound and devoted audience.
Runs until 31st May 2025
The Reviews Hub Score
Awesomely amped-up Austen