Pride & Prejudice* (sort of) at the Chelmsford Theatre

Everday I will write the book about how fabulous this show is! Combining pure comedy and musical interludes to create a wonderfully fun piece of theatre. Cannot recommend enough checking this show out whilst it's on tour. As someone who has never read or watched Pride & Prejudice, I worried the first time I saw the show that I would feel lost however apart from some comments I find myself able to follow the show and thoroughly enjoy it.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

Pride & Prejudice* (sort of) is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice told by the servants who were so often forgotten in Jane Austen's books. Having first seen this show almost two years ago when it was previously on tour, I knew I had to see it again on this UK tour. The show blends comedy, singing and dancing to create a feel-good time that is still able to showcase more moving moments, which add rather than detract from the nature of the overall performance. A notable time when this occurs is during a conversation between Elizabeth and Charlotte, which is a heartfelt moment, however Charlotte's embroidery, which is revealed as she exits the stage, allows the show to return to its comedic roots with perfect subtlety and effect.

The show opens with Everyday I Write The Book, which introduces the five servants who take on all the roles from the book between them. The cast for the performance I saw was comprised of Susie Barret, Emma Rose Creaner, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Low, and Christine Steel. The show also has three understudies who are Isobel Donkin, Georgia May Firth and Grace Liston. Emma Rose Creaner stunned with her vocals during Everybody Knows, which is a moment of raw honesty from the character of Charlotte Lucas as she confronts her feelings and the lack of reciprocation or notice. Christine Steel leads At Last, which is a brilliant moment of perfectly blended song and comedic devices which did not fail to leave the audience in stitches whilst showcasing Christine's fabulous vocals. The next song is a duet between Charles Bingley (Emma Rose Creaner) and Jane Bennet (Christine Steel) as they perform Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow. This moment perfectly sows the seeds of this relationship, but the sudden comment from Charles Bingley during the song reminds us once again that this is a comedy first and foremost! However, the singing was a joy to listen to and I think that the reason I enjoy this show so much is due to its ability to blend so many elements of theatre without them feeling as if they oppose or overpower each other. Balance tends to be struck between these elements throughout the show, and although comedy is the focal element, it rarely feels overpowering or overused. After a failed duet between Elizabeth Bennet (Naomi Preston) and Mr Darcy (Rhianna McGreevy), Elizabeth takes the mic and publicly calls out Mr Darcy through Your So Vain, which is a wonderful showcase of Naomi Preston's both vocal and acting abilities.

Act 2 opens with I Need A Hero led by the full ensemble as the servants. This opening sets the tone of the show after the interval ready for the rest of Act 2. This song showcases the brilliant choreography of Emily Jane Boyle. During this Act, we get to hear Rhianna McGreevy lead I Think I Love You as Mr Darcy, this song highlights the talent of Rhianna McGreevy as she was able to maintain the characterisation of Mr Darcy whilst also shedding light on her vocal talent. Lady in Red once again showcases the vocal talent of Naomi Preston as Elizabeth Bennet, however, the scene that surrounds this song allows the characterisation skills of Christine Steel to shine as she portrays Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the initially polite yet quickly judgemental Aunt of Mr Darcy. Emma Rose Creaner leads Something Changed with an engaging comedic side throughout various actions and adlibs alongside her performance and vocals, and is joined by Christine Steel as Jane who accompanies creating a wonderful duet that was a pleasure to watch. The show ends with Mary finally being allowed to sing, and gosh was the wait worth it. Susie Barrett captivated during Young Hearts Run Free with stellar vocals that are accompanied by an impressively well-maintained characterisation of the loveable yet often overlooked Mary Bennet. This song develops into an ensemble performance which ends the show and I am still in awe at how well the energy of the show was maintained by all cast members throughout and all the way to the end of the show as this show is physically demanding and the maintaining of vocals, characterisation and energy throughout is what once again proved the incredible talent of this company to me.

The costumes in this show are used to show the various characters played by each performer, enabling the audience to distinguish between the vast number of characters shared between the cast. Ana Ine's Jabares-Pita is the set and costume designer for this show, and I left with the feeling that both the set and costumes were utilised to their fullest ability throughout the performance to not only show the character changes but to also show the various locations that are seen. This is a testament to the talent of Ana Ine's Jabares-Pita and I truly believe that the set and costumes add so much to this show whilst also aiding the audience in being aware of who is currently being shown and where each moment is set. The transitions between characters were smooth and the seamless changes in characterisation by each performer enabled the audience to further differentiate the various characters whilst simultaneously showcasing the talent of this cast with regards to the ability to maintain various characterisations throughout the performance ensuring each is individual to the character that is being portrayed in that moment. The music for this show complements the moments in which it is used and this is due to Michael John McCarthy who is the Musical Supervisor, however, I do wish that the programme contained a set list as the lack of a Cast Recording or Official Soundtrack means that once leaving the show it can be difficult to find out the songs that were used throughout the show and unfortunately, in this case, the songs used are extremely catchy.

If you take anything away from this review, let it be that this show is not one to miss whilst it's out on its UK tour!

Content Warnings:

The theatre did have content warnings outside of the auditorium which were as follows:

Flashing Lights, Smoke and Haze will be used during this performance
There will be Strong Language, Loud Bangs and Gunshot during this performance.

I found these content warnings to be informative, however, there is a moment of the show which I noticed and thought would be worth mentioning, this moment was as follows:

The character of George Wickham is accused of kidnapping two young women during the performance

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer