By: Wendy Sheard
Austen’s novel with a twist and a twirl which is fresh, energetic and contemporary.
From the word go, the all-female company, a quintet of accomplished and oh-so-likeable actors draw the audience into the performance. They make their way onto the stage through the auditorium; marigolds, mops and dusters in hand to introduce themselves as the servants, the unsung heroes, who work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the main characters pursue their destiny unencumbered by mundane activities and chores.
Each performer takes on different roles; portraying Bingley, Collins, Wickham and Darcy [of course!] as well as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, changing not only their costumes but the persona of the characters they portray, their voice, stance, and stage presence is different, which gives the impression that the cast is much bigger than five. There are so many laugh out loud moments, clever observations and layers of warmth and love which endear the characters to us in a truly unique and remarkable way.
An awareness of the story is useful [but not a necessity] as it helps to keep up with the fast-paced drama which unfolds before us as we move through the various scenes. It is light, irreverent and funny. Pop song classics punctuate the performance and are delivered karaoke style, bizarrely mirroring the mood and moment of the story. Elizabeth Bennet singing of You’re so Vain, to Darcy is perfection, the introduction of Lady Catherine via a rendition of Chris de Burgh’s The Lady in Red is sublime [see what they did there?!] and Holding Out for a Hero underpins what all the Bennet sisters were craving for in their own way.
The use of the minimal set design is ingenious, props are moved by the talented, versatile and hardworking actors, lighting effects transport us into different settings and situations; a disco, a romantic starlit night and even a conversation beside a skip! Watch out for small touches of brilliance, a picture frame, the reading of a letter, a horse ride and a vicar doing the splits – yes, a vicar doing the splits; strange but true!
Newcastle Theatre Royal’s production combines all that’s wonderful about theatre; escapism, entertainment and excitement; the opportunity to share and enjoy with others is uplifting and joyous.
The strong feminist voice remains at the heart of the story, I’m sure Jane Austen would whole heartedly approve of this witty and sharp interpretation of her much-loved novel.
This award-winning production – Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) – is just brilliant and bonkers!