February 23, 2010
'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' It is also a truth universally acknowledged that any adaptation of a Jane Austen novel is going to provoke a wildly differing yet thoroughly earnest repsonse from anyone who sees it.
For the Lover of the Original Text, Simon Reade's adaptation, while necessarily compressed manages to convey a suprisingly broad quantity of material and is faithful to the original cast and characterisations. I felt that the coverage of characters was more true to the book than either of the more recent TV/film adaptations. The role played by the notable Mr Collins for example was more prominent, becomming in fact a crucial plot device and comedic instrument.
For the Fan of the TV or Film production, the fast pace of the show is faithful to the marital whirlwind that is the unavoidable result of such narrative compression. This perhaps is where opinions of the performance will be divided - the overriding impression is one of not entirely deliberate farce. But I strongly suspect this is the inevitable result of manoeuvering any Jane Austen behemoth onto the stage, and as such this is dealt with admirably. I left feeling gently amused, rather than slightly outraged.
Mssrs Bingley and Darcy are respectively tall, beaming and extraordinarily proud. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a wonderfully dour old dame. Peter Ellis provides much-needed relief from marriage-related giggling as a lugubrious Mr Bennet. Susan Hampshire is very effective as Mrs Bennet, the star of the show, and well supported by Katie Lightfoot, whose professional debut is here as Lizzie Bennet. The theatrical highlights of the show are the interactions between her and Mr Darcy (Nicholas Taylor).
Inventive use of on-stage music helps bring the audience into the production from the onset, and adds immediacy to the flamboyant ball scenes. I liked the model piano-forte very much indeed.
I think that most people will enjoy this production. It has an air of fun about it that will appeal to all ages and even the most hardened of Austen fanatics cannot fault the originality of the script to any great extent. If you are looking for as much glitz as to be found in the TV production however, perhaps you should rent the DVD set.
For the Lover of the Original Text, Simon Reade's adaptation, while necessarily compressed manages to convey a suprisingly broad quantity of material and is faithful to the original cast and characterisations. I felt that the coverage of characters was more true to the book than either of the more recent TV/film adaptations. The role played by the notable Mr Collins for example was more prominent, becomming in fact a crucial plot device and comedic instrument.
For the Fan of the TV or Film production, the fast pace of the show is faithful to the marital whirlwind that is the unavoidable result of such narrative compression. This perhaps is where opinions of the performance will be divided - the overriding impression is one of not entirely deliberate farce. But I strongly suspect this is the inevitable result of manoeuvering any Jane Austen behemoth onto the stage, and as such this is dealt with admirably. I left feeling gently amused, rather than slightly outraged.
Mssrs Bingley and Darcy are respectively tall, beaming and extraordinarily proud. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a wonderfully dour old dame. Peter Ellis provides much-needed relief from marriage-related giggling as a lugubrious Mr Bennet. Susan Hampshire is very effective as Mrs Bennet, the star of the show, and well supported by Katie Lightfoot, whose professional debut is here as Lizzie Bennet. The theatrical highlights of the show are the interactions between her and Mr Darcy (Nicholas Taylor).
Inventive use of on-stage music helps bring the audience into the production from the onset, and adds immediacy to the flamboyant ball scenes. I liked the model piano-forte very much indeed.
I think that most people will enjoy this production. It has an air of fun about it that will appeal to all ages and even the most hardened of Austen fanatics cannot fault the originality of the script to any great extent. If you are looking for as much glitz as to be found in the TV production however, perhaps you should rent the DVD set.