Amidst the buzz of Bridgerton returning to Netflix to finish off the much-awaited season 3, it seems theatre has taken note of audiences' renewed interest in Regency romance.

Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot offered up a one-woman show of Austen’s first fully written work last night: Lady Susan, a powerful show of actress and co creator Rebecca Vaughan's performance range directed by Andrew Margerison.

The show is a work of Dyad productions, who have previously been known for Austen’s Women, which featured characters from all over the world of Austen (some well- and some lesser-known). Later this year, they plan to tour a production of A Christmas Carol, and a show all about Elizabeth the 1st's right-hand man Sir Walter Raleigh.

For this adaptation, the creator turns us from Regency to Georgian, Vaughan decked out in a corset and flouncy skirt, that jarred an audience so used to the Regency-set works of Austen. It adds a strange separation to the world, especially since Lady Susan stands out the most against the rest of Austen’s works, not only as a story, but in the deviousness of its protagonist. With such works as Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility taking the lead in the popularity contest for fans over the years, Lady Susan comes as a bit of a shock to the unknown reader. She is boisterous, conniving, flirtatious, and does nothing to hide any of this unless it suits her, manipulating those around her, including the wearisome sister-in-law Catherine, to get what she wants in life.

The play is in letter format, making it easy to adapt for stage in the form of long monologues for each character that Vaughan embodies. This play does not offer very much to the eye, and can seem quite tedious at times, but Vaughan’s performance saves it from being at all dull for the audience. She commands each character so distinctly from the other that you never feel lost at who is meant to be on stage, despite the lack of costume change; definitely a theatre piece worthy of the watch for her performance alone.

Lady Susan may be shown to be conniving, devious, and intent on making her daughter miserable, but Vaughan gives us insight into the true nature of the situation unlike any adaptation before. We are shown a more vulnerable side to Lady Susan, and it is through this we realise that she has to be this way to survive. She is a widow, with only one daughter, now of age, to marry off. She is in limbo on what her future may be, and, for most widows, it was not good. She would be at the whim of the next male heir in the family. Lady Susan conducts herself as a woman of power, but she has no agency in reality. She commands a room, as well as the stage, because she has to – she will not be made to fade away into the background of society. She has to ensure her daughter, Frederica, marries well. She knows that marrying for love is highly unlikely, so to indulge in that whim on Frederica’s part would be foolish, and could be a huge mistake for her future stability, not just Lady Susan’s.

This performance turned the character of Lady Susan into a real person, not just a caricature that Austen so loves to make of older women (eg. Mrs Bennet). It's a moving piece that still had all the comedy intended from Austen’s original writing. Does it work as a one woman show? Sort of. Depends on the performer. Another actor could easily ruin the show, but Vaughan at the steering wheel ensures the audience’s captivation the entire time. Would it work better as a play with more actors? Probably. But you have to admire the work and love put into this, by a production company clearly passionate about people in history and bringing their stories and truths to light.