Think you know Pride and Prejudice? Think again.
Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) is the story you know and love, told through the eyes of the people who know the characters the best, the servants. With the characters you know and love but told in a more up-to-date way with modern language for a more modern audience. It also includes some belters of tunes, including You’re So Vain, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Holding Out For a Hero and more! It was so much fun from a completely unexpected evening. If you’re going expecting an evening dedicated to Jane Austen’s most famous work, then you will be disappointed, but with an open mind, then evening will be one of the most fun you’ve had for a while.
It is a small cast of five and there is not a weak link in any of the girls. Emma Rose Creany, Eleanor Kane, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Lowe and Christine Steel all bounce off each other and you can tell that they’re all enjoying themselves, while entertaining the audience at the same time. Each one has their own moment to shine and each have witty one-liners and sharp returns to each other, that make the audience cry with laughter at times. You are amazed at how easily they switch between the characters, with just a slight costume change and an accent change, to signify to the audience which role they are adopting for the next few minutes. The piece as a whole is full of wit and intelligence and clearly came from a place of love from writer and director Isobel McArthur. It is a brilliant, loving and modern-day homage to the original work and shouldn’t be seen as anything other than that!
The set and costumes were designed by Ana Inés Jabare-Pita and her vision was clear throughout. The stately homes were the main setting and moving props around, allowed you to clearly imagine whose home we were visiting at which point. My favourite part was how Mr Bennett was perceived by the audience and the characters interact with ‘him’. The costumes were clearly though about and it was clear that the servants were telling their version of events, by being able to see their garments under every costume change for each of the characters. It’s cleverly thought about and the nuances added to the production and the evening as s whole.
It is a fun evening for almost all ages, but is not for the feint-hearted (this definitely is a warning for more adult language used throughout – but it just adds to the humour!) and you definitely don’t need to have read the book to understand what is happening around you.
Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) is at the Floral Pavilion until Saturday 12th April 2025, then continues on its UK tour. Tickets and Venue information are available from www.prideandprejudicesortof.com
Reviewer: Jenn McKean
Reviewed: 8th April 2025
North West End UK Rating: