Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton – until 5th October 2024
Review by Amanda Allen
5*****
When a much loved story, known and familiar to so many of us from Jane Austins original book or one of the many film or TV versions, gets a new adaptation, it’s always going to be a gamble. I am delighted that this gamble has more than paid off! Telling the tale from the viewpoint of 5 of the serving staff with an added dose of humour and 20th century music this production delivers on all fronts. With a small main cast of only 5 women, taking on all the parts, the enduring tale of Love, Class, Pride and prejudice is portrayed with such skill and humour that I would encourage you to buy a ticket right now if you are lucky enough for this production to be coming to theatre near you.
Isobel McArthur who wrote and directed the play, has found a new way to introduce us to the Bennet family with all the different characters of the daughters, their parents and associates, laid bare, on display for our enjoyment. The addition of a number of modern songs to the narrative only helped to focus the story in a different light. With the plight of the 5 sisters and their mother hanging on their ability to marry well, the tale is told via the 5 female servants’ thus putting an original and different slant on the well know story.
The part of Tilly, Mr Bingley and his sister Miss Caroline Bingley were all brilliantly played by Emma Rose Creaner. When the comment was made that “you wouldn’t believe they were related as they looked nothing alike” the audience were all howling with laughter. With amazing skill, and a slick costume change, she managed to portray each character as an individual. Her comic timing was impeccable, and she had some of the best visual and vocal gags in the show. One of my humorous highlights was the use of an empty pringles tube stuck on her arm to hide a microphone prior to its use in a song, with a sideways glance she could portray so much feeling.
Rhianna McGreevy who played Mrs Bennet and Mr Darcey, also gave a fabulous performance. Again, her comic timing was excellent, I especially loved the scene where she was Mr Darcey in the portrait that kept moving about aided by Tilly. The whole cast used the stage, props and script so perfectly to tell the story. A Special mention must be made to the set and costume designer, Ana Ines Jabares-Pita. The staging, props and costumes played a huge part in the telling of this tale and making us all laugh so many times. The Waste bin with Jane Aust-Bin written on the side was a brilliant use of a visual gag. The use of the folding screen to change costumes behind which also doubled up as toilet! The backwards facing chair, with the never seen Mr Bennett, who hid behind his newspaper was an inspired idea too.
With some strong language, that I’m sure was not in the original novel, this is a very different telling of a much loved story. With other excellent performances from Susie Barrett (Mary) Naomi Preston (Elizabeth) and Christine Steel (Jane) This is a show well worth seeing. At the end of the second half Mary finally got to sing, she had an unexpectedly good voice! As instructed at the end “don’t forget to eat your greens or your bum will fall off” We don’t want that as you will need it when you go and buy a ticket and sit down to a great night out, this will be one of the best shows you will see this year.