Since its publication on this day in 1813, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has had countless stage and screen adaptations and has gained international recognition as one of the most famous love stories around. In today’s modern age, you may call it a will they, won’t they tale of mismatched lovers with its settings of grand country estates, beautiful period costuming and its tale of dropping one’s own pride and not being too judgemental of others. Over the years, its popularity has seemingly never waned an audiences continue to lap it up. Here, with a cast of just five women and a pop music soundtrack, Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) takes the famous tale and gives it a girl power twist that leaves those watching in fits of laughter as it travels up and down the country on its second UK Tour.
Premiering in 2018, Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) tells the story through the eyes of five servants, the hidden heroes of those grand houses depicted in Austen’s original, as they take on multiple roles to show how they really are the masterminds behind the love story, belting out perfectly matched and wonderfully comically timed karaoke hits to pinpoint the action. There is a sense of fun as costumes are thrown on and around, period dresses donned over doc martin boots and handheld microphones carried or cleverly hidden around the stage, and the fourth wall comes crashing down, in fact, it would be safe to say that the fourth wall simply doesn’t exist as the audience as directly addressed throughout as witnesses to the unfolding love story.

Emma Rose Creaner, Eleanor Kane, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Low and Christine Steel between them play the maids becoming the well-known characters of Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia, Mary and Mrs Bennett, The Bingleys, and of course, the famous Dr Fitzwilliam Darcy. Costume changes are done in seconds, both on and off stage, with hilarious double ups earning many a laugh as we see both Bingleys played and both Mrs Bennett and Mr Darcy played by the same performer.
Despite the addition of popular music, the cutting of cast numbers and the multi-roling, Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) actually sticks to the original story with surprising accuracy, with the occasional reference and/or dig to famous adaptations, such as that lake moment. This is a show for fans of the story, meaning that some references may be a little lost on those who maybe don’t know it as well.
Whilst Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) may call itself a musical, I would be more inclined to call it a play with music. Hits such as ‘Young Hearts run free’, ‘You’re so Vain’, ‘Lady in Red’ and ‘At Last’ to name but a few, are expertly handled by the talented cast but at times in the briefest of snippets. As enjoyable as this musical moments are, it would be nice to hear some of this numbers in full, as I feel that this would give the cast the opportunity to truly showcase their vocals.
At its heart, this is a production designed and performed to make people laugh, and it does just that effortlessly. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and the sense of fun is shared between cast and audience. The finale has people jumping to their feet and the excited chatter of those leaving the theatre after the performance shows just how much it is loved and enjoyed. I suspect that its popularity will continue to grow as the tour continues as audiences delight in the silliness of this unique adaptation.
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