“It is a truth universally acknowledged…” begins one of the most famous openings of a book in the English language. In fact, if you say that to any Jane Austen fan and they are likely to complete the sentence for you. The curious thing is that a novel written over 200 years ago still has such enduring appeal with fans all over the world, who still eagerly follow the love story of the feisty and outspoken Elizabeth Bennet and the silent and brooding Mr Darcy. There is something about the story which makes fans want to see multiple adaptations of it time and again: it has all the ingredients of a classic novel, with extreme characters as well as a ‘girl next door’ type heroine that so many can relate to.
The always inventive and creative This Is My Theatre have given their inimitable treatment to adapting Pride and Prejudice into a 90 minute one act play to celebrate 250 years since Austen’s birth. It’s an ambitious task, with all the characters in the novel that are so integral to the story. Yet perhaps it is another universally acknowledged truth that this company creates superb theatre, whatever they seem to turn their attention to. And this is simply charming, leaving you with a warm glow, even if the weather is unfavourable.
On their stripped back set with scenes fluidly changing with music and singing as they add to or takeaway from the setting, five actors multirole through some of the most famous literary characters in history. Elizabeth’s narrative voice of the novel has been translated into some direct address to the audience which works beautifully, and is a lovely nod to the original. Sophie Todd plays Elizabeth sincerely, drawing out her strength and her flaws with an appreciated realism, allowing the humanity of the situations to come through, fully letting us into her thinking. It gives the show an immediacy, emotional impact and depth which is very much needed and often missed. Ciaran Fagan plays her stoic counterpart with a truthfulness often hard to capture, giving us a Mr Darcy struggling with his changing regard for and understanding of Elizabeth. Watching the dynamic between them changing throughout the play is a thing of beauty, positively crackling towards the end.
Lily Smith is the worldly wise Aunt Gardiner, pragmatic Charlotte, plus a wonderfully gentle and kind Jane Bennet. The interactions with Leon Topley as Mr Bingley are filled with such innocent love and nuance it positively fills us all with happy sighs. Topley has perhaps the wildest range of characters to portray, from Bingley to Wickham, creating sizzling attraction with Wickham and yet innocence with Bingley, from creating the most unfanciable man in the history of literature in Mr Collins complete with impossibly low and ridiculous bow, to playing the snooty, entitled and dislikeable Lady Catherine. His facial expressions here are superb: these two ridiculous characters need to be laughed at yet he manages to not make them caricatures but real people. So too does Abigail Davis, an absolute hoot as the desperate and indiscreet Mrs Bennet and a Miss Bingley who does not hide her infatuation with Mr Darcy.
Staging, characterisation, adaptation, direction: all of these elements come together to give us a wonderful little innocent jaunt through a timeless love story in possibly Austen’s most famous novel. What’s especially lovely is how they are all grounded in reality, regardless of how extreme some of the characters are. They have created some wonderful pictures that stay with you, including Elizabeth’s facial expressions dancing with Mr Darcy and how they change by the end, and Mr Darcy hearing Elizabeth stand up to Lady Catherine and his actions as a result. Mr Collins quivering lip in rejection is both sad and funny, and Aunt Gardiner letting slip about Mr Darcy’s involvement in solving Lizzie’s family crisis was a guffaw moment. This company can chalk up another triumph with this funny, charming and gently piece packed with real emotional depth: as sweet as a full cream tea in a lush garden on a sunny day.
Davis Park, Hove, 27 August 2025
Pride And Prejudice Tour Details Company Website: Pride & Prejudice
