Pride and Prejudice at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield Review
Pride and Prejudice
Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
10 August 2014
Reviewed by Helen Jiggins
I travelled from Oxfordshire to West Yorkshire to review this play and arrived about the same time as Hurricane Bertha. This might not have been a problem, except this play was set in the courtyard of the Lawrence Batley Theatre and so the inclement weather (driving rain and bitter cold) became the 6th member of the cast!
The five cast members of this Heartbreak Productions play were required, on performing the many characters in the novel, to portray more than one role and they did so with amazing aplomb, superficial costume changes and accent/voice differences. The costumes were simple, although not wholly accurate (I saw a pair of socks peeking above a pair of not very authentic boots) and the staging was simple, as befits an outdoor performance in pouring rain, but none of this detracted from the overall success of the show.
The performance was a sell-out, a few people were even braving the weather hoping for re-sale tickets. The reason why became clear very quickly, because although this was a cut-down, truncated version of the lengthy novel, the play was excellent and a real treat for Jane Austen fans (like me!). There was much humour to be had, Max Attard, as Mr Collins, was a particular triumph. Jenny Jenkins as Hermione, Mrs Bennet, Reynolds, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Caroline Bingley out-acted the rest of the cast by quite some way and showed not the slightest concession as the rain hammered down. Jack Fairly portrayed an excellent Mr Bennet and Tania Staite and Phillipa Flynn held up their ends in every remaining young girl role, except Mary Bennet, who thankfully (and hilariously), was “studying” whenever her character was mentioned.
The very topical (or should that be tropical) weather was mentioned as a meta-theatrical device, perhaps a little too often, but then again the audience had the advantage of hiding under umbrellas and waterproofs, while the actors held forth in the elements.
Overall, I loved it. There were moments of fleeting disappointments when the cutting down of the play seemed to require the wrong people on the stage in the wrong scenes and the wrong characters leading the plot, but there were enough familiar lines, famous quotes and great character portrayal, although not always faithful, were in keeping with the original. Oh and Mr Darcy did appear with his top off, so most of my gripes I can live with!
Rating: 4/5
Heartbreak Productions Pride and Prejudice is currently touring until 31 August 2014. For more information, tour dates or to book tickets visit www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk.
Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen’s Square, Queen Street, Huddersfield, HD1 2SP
