Pride And Prejudice*(*Sort of) – The Grand Theatre And Opera House Leeds Review

Reviewed by Claire Giles

Most people will have read the book, watched one of the many televised adaptations or simply heard of Pride & Prejudice and My Darcy but honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect from this adaptation of Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort of ). What exactly does (*Sort of ) mean?

We watched the show at The Grand Theatre & Opera House in Leeds. The Grand is based in Leeds City Centre so is easily accessible by car or public transport. There is plenty of payable car parking nearby. The staff were all very friendly and helpful.

This adaptation tells the story of the classic tale of Pride & Prejudice, the tale of love, betrayal, family and the Bennet sisters need to find suitable husbands to save them from poverty and ruin but that’s where the similarities end. This is a hilariously funny, witty, sometimes rude and crude, loud and with quite a lot of swearing take on Pride & Prejudice. Set to karaoke, yes karaoke the cast at times burst out into song and belt out some impressive covers of well know songs that fit in smoothly with the plot and express their feelings (though this isn’t a musical). As weird and obscure as this sounds in a Jane Austen adaptation it works well and really brings the story alive in a new way you definitely wouldn’t expect. The cast’s rendition of ‘Holding out of a Hero’ at the start of the second act was outstanding but funny at the same time. And Elizabeth’s rendition of ‘Your So Vain’ that she sings to Mr Darcy was comedy gold.

The performance was funny and entertaining from beginning to end. The script was so cleverly written there honestly wasn’t a moment you were not engaged with the show. The modern twists that shouldn’t have worked in a classic tale were hilarious, such as the youngest daughter getting drunk on her alcopop at the ball and the mum drinking Bailey at Christmas and pigging out on quality street were all relatable and brought the show to a whole new audience.

The best bit about it all was the amazingly talented all female cast. They were all equally talented and worked together seamlessly. They honestly looked like they were enjoying performing the show as much as the people were enjoying watching it. The five all female cast took on the personas of all the characters in Pride & Prejudice often portraying characters that were polar opposites. They played the parts so professionally throughout that you were so involved in the show that the character changes flowed flawlessly.

The Bennet sisters, who all seemed to have different accents including Welsh!, really made the show. The sweet and pretty Jane, the loud and intelligent Elizabeth, the oddball and studious Mary and the immature youngest sister Kitty. With their drinking and swearing they definitely weren’t what you would expect from typical regency girls.

The show portrays not just the main characters you would expect but also the servants that are usually just background characters but as they point out are highly pivotal to the story yet usually forgotten. They interject throughout with their observations both on the often ridiculous of the story and the characters and the constraints of the era placed upon these women.

I never expected to love it as much as I did. It was so much fun to watch. I couldn’t recommend it enough. It has something for everyone and the audience was a mix of all ages. My husband, who is definitely not a Jane Austen fan, absolutely loved it and never stopped laughing. If you get a chance to go see it, definitely do. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £15 to £45
Pride & Prejudice*(*Sort of) is at The Grand Theatre & Opera House Leeds from Monday 24th – Saturday 29th April 2023, for more information or to book tickets visit www.leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the box office on 0113 2430808
The Grand Theatre & Opera House, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NU