(seen at the afternoon performance on 15th February 2023)
Pretty much the offspring of an encounter between “The Play That Goes Wrong” and “Six The Musical” this falls directly between the two as a physical comedy with plenty of female singing thrown in.
Five young women work in one of the 19th Century “great houses.” These undervalued maids decide to tell the tale of their employer’s family, and dive headlong into the story playing all the characters female and male with witty changes of costume and pauses for karaoke.
Sound very “Oxbridge Students on the Edinburgh Fringe”? You would be close. In fact it originated from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students for Glasgow’s Tron Theatre in 2018. The whiff of the “common room” is very strong, the writing and performances exactly as those origins suggest.
Lucy Gray, Dannie Harris, Leah Jamieson, Emmy Stonelake and Megan Louise Wilson are relentless from their pre-show appearance “cleaning” the proscenium to their final nailing up a “tell your friends” sign as the audience depart.
Stonelake’s Elizabeth is effective, realising the situation she has got into as the result of being a stroppy teen. Also, a talented musician. Wilson’s spurned suitor is a riot in purple, while Harris as Darcy has a swagger only a woman playing a man can observe. Harris's despairing maternal dive into the tin of chocolates is amusing, while Gray has the singing voice to carry the others.
Also worthy of recognition, Mr Bennett from the comfort of his armchair is superb. An hilariously conceived character, constantly reading a newspaper while the women run riot around him.
As a man the monkey overheard at the interval commented, if you are familiar with the Jane Austen novel you will really appreciate the show. If like him and indeed the monkey you don’t know much more than the title and the fact the entire female population “lost it” over Colin Firth in a pond during the BBC TV adaptation... well... you are going to get pretty lost, unfortunately.
Storyline aside, directors Isobel McArthur (who also wrote the show) and Simon Harvey do allow the action to sag a few times in the second half particularly, and a little of the “mugging” becomes less inventive as time goes on.
The self-consciously “aren’t we being funny and clever” verges on smugness at times. This rather suits the period and social status they are trying to convey, but is tedious substituting for character depth and colour.
For those who prefer wordplay, there is little that is sophisticated – the “Balls” joke does wear a little thin. Further, there’s a gender-politics line which perhaps isn’t the wisest choice either. On the other hand, Ana Ines Jabares-Pita comes up with a very clever recycling bin on a versatile stage of books and staircase.
Certainly for fans of the original novel, and those who missed it in the first West End run so bravely supported by the producer who rightly believes in the show. For others, worth at least reading a detailed synopsis of the source material beforehand. Do that and it is a fresh and amusing night out at a classic.
3 stars – 5 for fans.
UK Tour Dates and Tickets: prideandprejudicesortof.com/uk-tour.
Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic. Used by kind permission.