Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – until Saturday 18 January 2025
Reviewed by Sharon Farley
5*****
In this adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, actor, writer and director Isobel McArthur (Quiz!, Kidnapped, How to Sing it) has pulled out all the stale stuffiness of a Regency England period drama and repacked it with the joyful bounce of a boisterous girls night out. McArthur’s inventive synthesis of some dark, central themes carried high on the shoulders of fizzing entertainment shakes up your perspectives of the space occupied by women in society whilst also leaving you wanting to dance in the aisles. Little wonder it earned her awards from both Olivier and Them Evening Standard.
Both cast and crew have capitalised on the comedic element of Austen’s original and supercharged it with something that sits between music hall slapstick and the alternative brilliance of The Comic Strip Presents. We are still treated to the human stories of romance and rejection, love and longing, but with the heart wrenching messages between parties swapped out for karaoke classics. I know, this sounds wrong, but somehow it’s just so right – and I say that as someone whose very idea of hell is a karaoke night.
Beyond the rip roaring fun of it all, the layers underpinning this production’s ethos are sturdy and admirable. The tale is a stark reminder of the dominance of the patriarchal and class driven society endured by Austen in the 1800’s – unable even to write under her own name – where every woman’s fate was sealed by the willingness of a man to take charge of her (and her family) through marriage. That the company has chosen to make this an all female cast is genius, which is doubled by the narration being put into the hands of the servants’ characters.
Changes in accent and costume allow all the actors to take multiple parts to great effect, and everyone has the opportunity to shine; there are no bit parts here. Emma Rose Creaner (Lobster Bisque, Tartuffe, Power Ballad) is particularly noticeable as the effervescent burst of energy powering some of the most comical moments. Naomi Preston Low (The Sound of Music, Mudlarks, Bridgerton) delivers the essence of sass into her portrayal of the rebellious Elizabeth Bennett, while Rhianna McGreevy (Twelfth Night, Nell Gwynn, The Witcher) flips between the melodrama of Mrs Bennett and the cool, misunderstood aloofness of Mr Darcy with ease. The gentle, lovestruck Jane Bennett is played brilliantly by Eleanor Kane (A Monster Calls, The Duchess (of Malfi), The Invincibles), who also takes the part of the debauched George Wickham in other scenes. The well studied diligence of all members of cast and company is clear in the excellent use of props, footwork, and timing. It is pure theatre at its best and no surprise that it has been rewarded with an Olivier Best Comedy Award.
In Sheffield, the first night performance received a standing ovation. No matter how you feel about Jane Austen, or karaoke, this phenomenally energetic interpretation cannot fail to win you over.