Theatre Review: Pride and Prejudice (UK Tour)

Pride and Prejudice review: ‘It is a truth universally accepted that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife’.

Simon Rede’s most recent adaptation of the novel by Jane Austin of the same name is a play to be greatly enjoyed. It is a humorous tale of life in Georgian England through the eyes of Mrs Bennet and her five daughters all of marriageable age, whose challenge is to see her daughters make good marriages.

Felicity Montagu is excellent as Mrs Bennet and fusses and attends to her daughters and husband’s needs, but seems frustrated at times by the role dictated to her by society. Her five daughters seem to echo the different strands of her personality, which is all gently tolerated by Mr Bennet (Matthew Kelly). The arrival of Mr Bingley (Jordan Mifsud) gets Mrs Bennet’s hopes up that one of her daughters, Jane, ably played by Hollie Edwin may make a suitable match. Elizabeth (Jessica D’Arcy) is less accommodating than her sisters and consequently challenges the expectations that her family and society place upon her. Jessica D’Arcy the understudy, stepped up brilliantly to play the role of Elizabeth.

There are moments of humour peppered throughout the play especially between Matthew Kelly and Felicity Montagu. This is echoed by Elizabeth Bennet and her love interest Mr Darcy who is played by a suitably smouldering Benjamin Dilloway. The cousin of the Bennet daughters Mr Collins (Steven Mao) is a rather odious character and which is also excellently portrayed.

The setting of the stage is skillful and makes clever usage of the revolving set especially to demonstrate the bustle of balls, family life and country walks and combined with the costumes harks back to the time of Jane Austin. The flow between scenes seems to be effortless and is enhanced by the lighting which is used effectively.

This production is impressive and humorous. It is a play that can be recommended for those at ease with being entertained by an evening when the only important thing to remember is that ‘a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

Pride and Prejudice is running at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking until 29th October, 2016