Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen - Adapted for the stage by Simon Reade

Audiences were privileged to see and enjoy such a production. Definitely “West End” Material. All and everyone connected with the production deserves equal praise: - from Direction through Planning, Staging, Improvisation,[ perhaps? ] in Rehearsals. Lighting ,Sound and Music, everything worked to perfection and audience enjoyment. Remarkable comic effects, using the whole company’s expertise, in the grouping, movements and reactions, were most effective. How brave to take a well known work where the plot and all the characters were already known to most audiences though school, personal reading, and versions on T,V. and film .but how it came alive in this vivid production! Movement and stillness, Music, Use of space, Changes of Pace and Action, and Amazing Groupings kept the audience totally involved. Never, of course, underestimate the Actors! All of whom were superb including, of course, your “Star” Ms. Hampshire. The whole production emphasised Jane Austen’s keen “eye and ear” by her observation of human behaviour. Audience reaction was totally supportive: we came out of the theatre talking and laughing, and even telling the staff how much we had enjoyed the whole experience. The staging, lighting, costumes, music and sound choreographic style, all contributed to an outstanding production. Thank you.

Dodie Evans, Kidderminster

New Look at a School Classic Malvern 27 Jan 2010 Theatre Royal Bath Productions have given Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice a makeover and very good it is too! A near-capacity crowd on Wednesday night really appreciated this fresh and lively approach. There were laughs galore as a young cast, led by Susan Hampshire in fine form, brought humour, vitality and warmth of feeling to the story of two young men in possession of good fortunes who clearly were in want of wives - even if Mr Darcy was unaware of this! Simon Reade’s stage adaptation features a bare stage with a slightly raised circular area for the main action. Library shelves, garden topiary and a tree were simply and effectively realised around the platform, drawing audible delight from the audience on each occasion. Chandeliers descend from above and a fully-set dining tabletop is carried in on its side to great hilarity. The exit of the cavalry from Meryton as they rode out of the town was quite delightful! Director Toby Frow’s stylish production is a great success. Susan Hampshire, as Mrs Bennet and Carolyn Pickles as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, set standards of movement, bearing and decorum that catch the different levels of absurdity of both characters and are entirely right for their parts and the period. Violet Ryder as Jane Bennet is sweetness and innocence itself while Lydia Larson as the eloping sister, Lydia, is sharp, silly and officer-mad, exactly as she should be. Natalie Burt as Miss Bingley prowls the drawing room at Netherfield, eying Darcy and exuding discontent and spitefulness. Katie Lightfoot as Elizabeth has all the quick and attractive intelligence the part calls for but her movement is such that one doubts that she would have caught and held the eye of Mr Darcy; is she just too modern in her movement for the early 19th century country house? Nicholas Taylor and Alex Felton, as Darcy and Bingley, are ideally cast: the former appealing while dignified, and the latter charming and open-natured. Tom Mothersdale as Mr Collins is as pompous and ludicrous as he should be. A question arises over the character of Mary Bennet however. Jane Austen presents her as ponderous, insensitive and without musical ability or judgement, while in this production she is a fulcrum who, Fiddler-on-the-Roof style, holds the play together as she sets mood and bridges scenes. Victoria Hamnett brings talent and authority to the role and helps to set the style of the production; completely successful, even if not quite faithful to the original. Which brings us back to Susan Hampshire. She is given the additional function of narrator as she introduces the play with Jane Austen’s opening paragraph and with the same words she pronounces an epitaph. The wheel has come full circle.

David Farrell, Hereford

I really enjoyed the show Mr Bennet and Elizabeth were great. My favourites were Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins. I thought everyone did really well and I thought it was brilliant.

Eleanor cave, cradley