Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 25th January 2025
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5*****
Jane Austin’s rather quaint (some might say staid) romantic comedy Pride & Prejudice gets a modern twist. Well, sort of…
The familiar tale is told from the perspective of the servants. Yes, the servants – the ones who normally remain silent, inhabiting the shadows, unnamed. But these servants are anything but silent or in the shadows – amply proven early on when the microphones come out and the songs begin to fly. Modern songs like “Young Hearts” and “You’re So Vain” to name a couple.
The small cast of just 5 performers work incredibly hard to flesh out an entire Regency novel’s worth of characters with just a lightning quick change of costume and voice. All are to be commended for their realizing multiple roles with such flair and also their musicianship (most played instruments live on stage too). Naomi Preston Low (as Elizabeth), Rhianna McGreevy (as Mrs Bennett), Georgia May Firth (as Lady Catherine), Eleanor Kane (as Aunt G) and Emma Rose Creaner (as Caroline Bingley) are just some of the innumerable delights they gave us.
There’s irreverent humour; the twist (and hilarity) being the modern way the Bennett family speak compared to all the more formal characters around them. The swearing may catch some people’s ears – it did mine, and it made me roar with laughter. This is a joyous evocation of the way that modern women would (understandably) react. In fact, that’s half the fun – shining a very bright light on some ridiculous attitudes and assumptions that are, sadly, still in evidence to this day. And not just the obvious outrageously anachronistic ones either – so keep your ears peeled.
My favourite scenes were Jane heading off on horse with the sisters waving her goodbye and (later) Elizabeth’s visit to Darcy’s stately home – with some brilliant portrait jokes and a wonderful allusion to Darcy’s famous dip in the lake (which I won’t spoil, but it’s subtlety and knowing humour is spot on). Oh, and Lady Catherine’s spooky entrance is also worthy of special mention! A massive pat on the back to Director Isobel McArthur and Comedy Supervisor Jos Houben.
As mentioned, the music added much gleeful mirth to the proceedings as did the props – look out for a rather witty pun written on Jane Aust-bin. And I nearly forgot to mention Mr Bennett who was, evidently, enigmatically played by the same chap who played Charlie in Charlie’s Angels – a surprising cameo there which nonetheless packed a wallop. I can’t prove 100% it was the same actor but it sure looked like him to me… You’ll understand when you see the play.
So, a brilliant night out having a ball (several really); glitter balls that is (well, sort of). In any case, it’s a riot, a scream and the most fun a chap can have this side of a proper invite to a Hen night! I loved it and I’m sure there’s not many that wont feel exactly the same. Wonderful entertainment. In the foyer after, I heard a fellow audience member proclaim to her friend it was “totally crackers”. I couldn’t put it better myself! I’m holding up the “hit” paddle and wholeheartedly recommending it.