Pride & Prejudice *(*sort of) – Leeds Grand Theatre

There have been plenty of versions in every medium of Jane Austen’s biting satire on the absurd manners in 19^th century England, but none quite like this irrelevant romp through one of the greatest novels ever written.

This is a world where women had less rights than children, sadly still true in some parts of the world, but Austen lays down a subtle challenge to that established order. That’s the trigger for a hard-working, five strong female cast to let rip as the ludicrous Mrs Bennet ruthlessly tries to marry off one of her five daughters before they end up in the poor house, as none of them can legally inherit their father’s estate.

The distinctive thing about this part farce, part panto, but always on point, production is we hear from the servants who are bit players in the novel, but here they really underline the strict class lines where Mr Darcy can look down on the comparatively wealthy Bennets.

Along the way there’s karaoke of contemporary hits, endless sight gags, a couple of daft props and even crashing through the fourth wall as the cast merrily play a dizzying array of characters. To their credit you are never unaware of who is who, and Austen fans won’t get a touch of the vapours as despite the expletives and karaoke Isobel McArthur’s very funny adaptation stays pretty faithful to the original text, which is right as this tale of manners and hard-won love is so strong.

The other cast member is Ana Ines Jaberes-Pita’s flexible set, which the cast use to great effect popping in and out of doors as characters randomly enter or exit or sweeping up and down the grand staircase.

Dannie Harris is quite magnificent, switching effortlessly from the crude hypochondriac Mrs Bennet to the aloofness of Mr Darcy. She is matched laugh for laugh by Emmy Stonelake’s raucous Elizabeth Bennett, capturing the essence of this intelligent free spirit in a repressed society, and you can’t help but smile as she sings You’re So Vain to Darcy.

Lucy Gray was in the West End hit production, which won an Olivier for Best Comedy, and is great fun as both the Bingley siblings, as well as lovelorn Charlotte Lucas harbouring forbidden feelings for her mate Lizzie.  Another West End veteran Leah Jamieson is a natural comic with a beautifully executed Mary Bennet, and her demolition job on the boring Mr Collins is comedy gold. Megan Louise Wilson captures the goodness of Jane Bennet, but is just as adept at physical comedy too with a wonderfully over the top Lady de Bourgh, prompting a cringy rendition of Lady in Red.

To carry off something as clever as this requires a huge amount of spot-on comic timing and energy, which never flags as gales of laughter ring round the rafters. Mrs Bennet is obsessed with the latest ball where one of her daughters might find a suitable suitor, and this show welcomes you an honoured guest at our own party where you are always in on the joke.

If Jane Austen could have been magically transported forward a few hundred years she would have sat in her seat laughing loudly as five strong performers refuse to treat her work as a period piece, instead bringing it bang up to date as women’s rights are being undermined globally.

Pride & Prejudice *(*sort of) is at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday 29th April. To book 0113 2340808 or www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

Reviewer: Paul Clarke

Reviewed: 24th April 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★