At the beginning of the month, I went to see ‘Pride and Prejudice (sort of)’ at the Criterion Theatre. The performance is an all-female production based of Jane Austin’s romance novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’. It was first performed at Edinburgh in 2020 and has since toured following great critical success. After watching the performance, I can understand why it won so many marvellous reviews.  

The play sets a tone of mischief and fun before the formal performance appears to start and comedy is maintained throughout the play, helping the audience to interact with the five actresses and the many characters that they play. Within the context of knowing the original characters and Jane Austin’s story the show’s portrayal of the characters adds considerable humour. For example, the exaggerated naivety of Mr Bingley and the literal absence of Mr Bennet, portrayed simply as a chair and a wide-open newspaper, provide opportunity to laugh not only during the performance but for days after. The use of modern day pop songs at various points in the play add to the sense of fun and the opportunity for the audience to join in. 

The structure of the play was immaculate with the five female actors each playing a number of different roles with seamless efficiency. Despite the comedy and sense of fun of the production there are some modern twists and different perspectives, such as the potential love of Charlotte and Lizzie and the presentation of the action from the perspective of the servants. Notwithstanding all of this, the play stills contain the enjoyment of the original text and the overall poignancy that the novel contains.