Monday, 4th November 2024 at York Theatre Royal
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This Olivier Award-winning comedy is back out on the road with a new tour and a new cast. In Isobel McArthur’s adaptation (which she also directs), we see a group of maids take on Jane Austen’s tale, telling it from their spot on the sidelines and donning the garb of their masters and mistresses for our entertainment. It’s a hilarious, fast-paced take on Austen’s beloved novel and with this latest tour, the show continues to prove itself a real crowd-pleaser.
The plot is a cracking one for satire: love, potential financial ruin and marriage is on the cards as Mrs Bennet fights tooth and nail to get her five daughters married off in Regency era England – well, in this tongue-in-cheek vision of Regency era England, which sees casual profanity and rib-tickling gags borne of incongruity front and centre. The gags are clever and silly and generous, with no opportunity for a bold and unexpected expletive spared.
And while this Pride and Prejudice is very much a comedy play, it does feature music (Musical Supervisor: Michael Johnny McCarthy) in the form of karaoke which allows the characters to vent their angst at the most comic opportunities – also allowing the cast to show off their musicianship alongside acting chops for an extra layer of impressiveness.
It’s another great cast, and it’s interesting to see the various interpretations of the characters in their comic form. Susie Barrett brings great energy to nerdy Mary, insufferable Mr Collins and lovable “Aunty G” – really hammering home the cloying eccentricities of each. While Christine Steel’s Jane Bennett is all sweet loveliness of course, Steel does well to ensure she showcases shiny versatility with the more comedic roles of a risible George Wickham and the imperious Lady Catherine.
Rhianna McGreevy gives Mrs Bennet a real edge here and a sharpness which feels unexpected. Her Darcy is also far more gentle and feeling than most, and it’s interesting to see how that softness interprets his comic moments while also beautifully serving the sincerity of the dynamic between Darcy and Elizabeth. In the same vein as Mrs Bennet though, Elizabeth Bennet gets her most ballsy interpretation yet in the shape of Naomi Preston Low, who holds nothing back in Elizabeth’s most fiery moments and offers a pretty cutting version of the sassy heroine.
Emma Rose Creaner is the resounding standout of the night as the gentle Charlotte and the larger-than-life Bingleys. It’s a brassy, relentlessly full-throttle performance and Creaner is a real joy to watch.
The production itself remains steadfast too, with Colin Grenfell’s lighting giving flair to the various tones and surprises of the piece, while Ana Inés Jabares-Pita’s set and costume cleverly conjures a bygone era with modern nods.
If you like your comedy pacy, irreverent and clever – you won’t be disappointed with this show. However, it has to be said that this latest production runs with the “faster, funnier” mantra of comedy to the point that some of the best gags of the piece are short-changed, but the fact remains that this is a bloody funny and very clever show, and it’s well worth a trip.
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is at York Theatre Royal until November 9th 2024 – more information and tickets can be found here.
Always Time For Theatre 
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