Austentatious – McEwan Hall, Edinburgh

The eleventh year of Austentatious at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in what has become their regular slot; 13:30 at the glorious 1100-seater McEwan Hall. Full, on the day I attended, and with limited tickets for the remainder of this short run, tells you plenty.

The Uber talented troupe presents a completely improvised play daily, in the style of Jane Austen, with each show a previously untold (and never to be told again!) novel.

The audience are asked to shout out potential titles until a ‘suitable’ one is reached. Todays unearthed gem was, The Unbearable Hotness of Being.

Never has needlework been so hot in Hampshire! When a recently orphaned brother and sister arrive in the county by hot air balloon they become the talk of the manor. The handsome brother is soon set upon by one of the lonely spinsters and its not long before they are consuming stuffed Jesus canapés whilst kneeling in the local church at the special golden pew whilst being serenaded by the vicar.

Now the brother wants to stay, the sister wants to leave. Such a conundrum! But there is a cunning plan to pair the sister up with the brother of the spinster.

The balloon is then mysteriously sold by ‘mystery name’ to a local worthy but the sister refuses to leave the basket and therefore is also sold as part of the deal. But never fear it all ends up well in the end.

You get the idea! All carried out in impeccable flowing gowns, high collared shirts and coat tails and more stiff upper lips than you could shake a stick at. Set to the constant plink-plonk of the Dickensian styled piano player Stage Left who basically makes it up as he goes along, setting the appropriate tone for each quick-fire scene.

There is a great deal of nonsense here which is beautifully conceived and delivered. It’s obvious too that the whole cast feels protected within the group, diving in to save dropped lines or fall on the occasional grenade. It’s great to see the trust and the joy that they all have, not to mention the talent. Austentatious removes all sense from sensibility but there is plenty of Pride here too, and it is richly deserved.

Perhaps a little formulaic in its conception, but nevertheless wonderfully entertaining and hilarious. When you have a product this good and this successful, why change it?

13:30 daily until 11th August 2024, https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Austentatious%3A%20An%20Improvised%20Jane%20Austen%20Novel%22

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 4th August 2024

North West End UK Rating: