The five talented women from the Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) cast are performing in Norwich this final week of their six-month national tour. In full regency costume, they walked to the city centre around famous Norwich spots such as the market and the Royal Arcade.
Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) is named by the writer of the show, Isobel McArthur, as it is a modern comedic interpretation of Jane Austen’s novel. It is originally a show from Scotland, then performed in the West End and was awarded the 2022 Olivier Award Winner for Best Comedy.
The city outing aimed to strip the ideas of the show being highbrow, as the original Jane Austen novel may be perceived by many today and represent the show for what it is at its core: something funny, modern and relatable.
Leah Jamieson, playing Mary Bennet, said: ‘people sometimes see Pride and Prejudice, and just think, that’s an old book and I can’t relate to it. But we want to show people that it’s really fun and it’s an all-female, awesome cast with gorgeous costumes. Hopefully they get a look at us, and it will inspire them to go watch the show.’
Charlotte Nelson, who works at the Norwich Theatre and organised the city outing, similarly said: ‘I think it’s to highlight creativity and that theatre is for everyone. It’s to show that juxtaposition, that it’s not just your stuffy, ordinary Pride and Prejudice regency piece. It’s a comedy, it’s a laugh and it’s everything you could want plus the regency. The fact that you could see the women climbing on the statues is the vibe we want to portray, and it’s very difficult to have that in your ordinary marketing material.’
Jonny Gosling, the company stage manager for the show, said: ‘we will finish this tour doing 158 shows in total by the time we finish this week = that’s 158 letters that Darcy has written to Elizabeth!’
He also said: ‘It is not highbrow, it is a night for the local area to come and just relax and to be immersed into a nice regency setting but with a modern tinge. ‘It’s very women-empowered … an incredibly funny piece and shows that Elizabeth is actually a modern-day heroine.’
After this tour, it will be time for a break for the cast. Then in the winter, the show will be going to Toronto to perform for four weeks over Christmas.
Written by UEA Journalism Student, Saffron Humphreys
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