REVIEW - Pride and Prejudice (sort of) is one of the funniest shows - A total delight for all Jane Austen fans!

On Tuesday, we went to Lowry, Salford to see Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). Read what our reviewer Christa Norton thought about one of the best shows she's ever seen...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that there is no better way to spend an evening than in the company of Jane Austen’s endearing and enduring Elizabeth and Darcy. There is so much to be said about the gloriousness of Jane Austen that it’s probably best I don’t begin, but one thing that is fascinating about Pride and Prejudice is the way it has become so iconic for our generation. Is it down to Bridget Jones or – dare I say it – Colin Firth’s shirt? Well, maybe, but I don’t believe they would have been nearly so successful had the source material itself not been so incredibly rich.

Whatever the reason, Pride and Prejudice now finds itself as the muse for numerous spin offs: Bollywood’s Bride and Prejudice, the even more intriguing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and – most recently, Plied and Prejudice, where the cast perform whilst getting increasingly drunk.

So it’s fair to say that whilst excited for the evening – and expecting perhaps a Baz Luhrman-esque style retelling - I also had the distinct impression that Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) could really take any direction.

Jane Austen’s original Pride and Prejudice follows Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters in a family facing financial insecurity due to their estate being entailed away from the female line. Her mother, Mrs. Bennet, is therefore eager to see her daughters married well. When the wealthy and kind-hearted Mr. Bingley arrives in the neighbourhood, he quickly falls for Elizabeth’s gentle sister, Jane. However, his proud friend, Mr. Darcy, discourages the match, believing Jane to be indifferent. Elizabeth, strong-willed and witty, takes an immediate dislike to Darcy, especially after hearing misleading claims from the charming but deceitful Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth rejects Darcy’s unexpected proposal, accusing him of arrogance and cruelty, but later learns she has misjudged him. When Darcy quietly helps resolve a scandal involving her younger sister, Lydia, Elizabeth begins to see his true character. Jane and Bingley reunite, and Elizabeth, having overcome her prejudices, accepts Darcy’s second proposal.

Beyond the story itself, this is a novel overflowing with the most wonderful and ridiculous variety of characters: the foolish, loud, husband-obsessed Mrs. Bennet; the flirtatious Lydia and the bookish and condescending Mary, not to mention the absurdly pompous Mr Collins or his arrogant patron Lady Catherine de Bourgh. All combine to create an incredible tapestry – and in some cases some damning satire on the state of society.

Pride and Prejudice* (sort of) written and directed by Isobel McArthur, is relatively faithful to the story itself but it is told from the perspective of five female servants of Longbourn, who act out the story as they see it and, shall we say, in their own words.  The result is genius – a thoroughly hilarious evening that revels in its own silliness delivered by a truly exceptional ensemble cast.

Naomi Preston Low (Jane Eyre, Horrid Henry: The Movie, Bridgerton, The Shadowmaster) gives us a lively, spirited Elizabeth Bennet, not afraid to tell people what she really thinks about them. I don’t think I will quickly forget her being dragged across the floor to hear Mr Collin’s proposal! Mrs Bennet is delivered in full glory by Rhianna McGreevy (The Witcher, The Winter’s Tale, Nell Gwynn). It’s a revelation to see the character freed from 19^th Century etiquette, and all the more impressive as McGreevy also takes on the role of the haughty and arrogant Darcy, yet she switches between the two with ease.

Emma Rose Creaner (Power Ballad, Hope Street, somewhere Here, Tartuffe) is full of energy both as the bubbly Mr Bingley and as his snobbish sister Miss Bingley (you can tell the difference because Miss Bingley has a huge enormous peacock feather in her hair!). I really loved watching her on stage – she’s got a great sense of comic timing and got a lot of the big laughs of the night. Opposite her, Christine Steel (Outlander, The Control Room, MI High, Three Sisters) gives us a sweet tempered Jane Bennet; she and Creaner performed a lovely duet of ‘Will you still love me tomorrow’, one of the more touching moments in the production. Meanwhile Eleanor Kane (Sappho, The Invincibles, Hex, Just So) is undoubtedly having the most fun with a highly repressed Mary and possibly the most gobby, tantrum-prone version of Lydia I have ever seen. She’s brilliant. Some of her lines are worth the price of the ticket alone.  

The sheer range of comedy is brilliant. Of course there are in jokes – the jarring of modern language with the period staging for example, and – in what was one of the biggest laughs for the night – the servants commenting that Mr Darcy seems ‘very dry’ when he suddenly appears at Pemberley.  But this was done sparingly; this is a show that could have totally relied on in jokes and knowing winks, but instead it works hard to ensure that it is just as funny even if you aren’t familiar with the story itself. The script is truly witty but the production combines this with moments of slapstick, physical comedy, farce. In fact there isn’t an element of the production that isn’t used to raise a laugh at some point – even if it is just achieving a fast costume change.

There is also some brilliant use of props as well – although perhaps that is no way to describe Mr Bennet, who is performed by a leather chair and newspaper throughout (with Mrs Bennet often berating him for having nothing to say!).

Songs come thick and fast throughout Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) but I really enjoyed the way they were used more as pithy interludes rather than as big showstopping numbers – not that there weren’t a couple of those too. But sometimes it was just two or three lines of a song, used to make a point, rather than the whole piece, and that worked really well as a way of moving between scenes and keeping a sense of pace.

And some of the song choices are pure genius. The Bennet sisters belting out Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Hero’ after Mr Bingley quits Netherfield perfectly captures their sense of frustration, but my all time favourite moment was when – having been initially dismissed by Darcy as not good enough to tempt him – Low’s Elizabeth Bennet takes her revenge by singing You’re So Vain. It genuinely felt like that song was written for that moment!

For me, what I loved the most about Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) was the total commitment by the cast; considering they must have performed this many times, their performances were fresh, engaging and energetic, putting 100% effort into landing every joke. And they really seemed to be enjoying themselves, encouraging each other to push jokes further, responding to the audience’s reactions, and maintaining the spell even when breaking the fourth wall. At times, I really wondered how they were managing to keep straight faces, yet the more the audience laughed, the more determined they seemed! I could not have asked for more from any of them.

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a must see for all Jane Austen fans, but is perfect for anyone who wants a night full of laughter. I would caution that there is significantly more swearing than in the original Austen. However, I took both teenage sons to see the production – one who has at least seen the BBC version, and one who prefers playing rugby and bench pressing his bodyweight at the gym: both were laughing along with the rest of the audience. Last night’s performance ended with a unanimous standing ovation that was incredibly well deserved for this total delight of a show. This is one of the funniest nights out I think I have ever had: Austen would be proud.

WE SCORE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (SORT OF)...




WATCH OUR "IN CONVERSATION WITH NAOMI PRESTON-LOW" VIDEO


Pride and Prejudice (sort of) is on at Lowry, Salford until Saturday 22nd March 2025


BUY TICKETS TO SEE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (SORT OF)