It is a truth universally acknowledged that all Pride and Prejudice reviews begin with a parody of the book's opening line. The Chapterhouse Theatre Company appeared in the beautiful gardens of Donington le Heath Manor House to present their adaptation of Jane Austen's most famous novel.
The nine cast members were kept busy throughout the two-and-a-half hour performance; with the exception of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, they all took on multiple roles.
The action took place on a small stage with Regency-esqe windows at the back, upon which a few judiciously-chosen props could be moved to suggest locations. The actors had to raise their voices to be heard over the ambient noise of the garden, and one or two were closer to shouting than projecting, but the acting was of a generally high standard, and the action was generally well-paced.
Inevitably, adaptations necessitate abridging, but certain key scenes – such as Darcy's letter to Elizabeth, or his proposal – were condensed so much they lost their impact. I'm no Austen expert - in fact, I've kind of picked up on it by osmosis from my wife - but even I knew there was some over zealous excision in places. Darcy bore the brunt of the cuts, with the reasons for Elizabeth's softening towards him being passed over so quickly that one wondered why she was falling for the arrogant man.
Good opinion once lost, is lost forever, they say. Fortunately, Austen fans know the source material, and at the end of the play there was an audible sigh of contentment as rose petal confetti fell over the happy couple.
The nine cast members were kept busy throughout the two-and-a-half hour performance; with the exception of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, they all took on multiple roles.
The action took place on a small stage with Regency-esqe windows at the back, upon which a few judiciously-chosen props could be moved to suggest locations. The actors had to raise their voices to be heard over the ambient noise of the garden, and one or two were closer to shouting than projecting, but the acting was of a generally high standard, and the action was generally well-paced.
Inevitably, adaptations necessitate abridging, but certain key scenes – such as Darcy's letter to Elizabeth, or his proposal – were condensed so much they lost their impact. I'm no Austen expert - in fact, I've kind of picked up on it by osmosis from my wife - but even I knew there was some over zealous excision in places. Darcy bore the brunt of the cuts, with the reasons for Elizabeth's softening towards him being passed over so quickly that one wondered why she was falling for the arrogant man.
Good opinion once lost, is lost forever, they say. Fortunately, Austen fans know the source material, and at the end of the play there was an audible sigh of contentment as rose petal confetti fell over the happy couple.
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