 |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
|
archive |
about
us |
links |
contact |
current | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Pride
and Prejudice Group: Illyria |
| Andrew Chippindale | |
|
I'm not a big fan of Jane Austen's novels. People who hold her up as an example of 'knowing humour' and 'an ironic sensibility' are usually simpering idiots to whom a glorified rugby player in a wet shirt is as exciting as life gets. Mercifully Illyria seem to take the same dim view of such things. They manage the neat trick of putting what seems like the entire novel on stage and treating its plot sympathetically, while at the same time making it a whole lot less simpering and precious than any television adaptation you're likely to see any time soon. Replete with brightly coloured costumes that give only the slightest nod to period detail, the five strong company romp through the dialogue at an incredible pace that would be impressive even if they weren't also swapping characters every other minute with a conviction suggestive of mild schizophrenia. While it is the point of the novel that only Lizzie Bennett, her father and Mr Darcy display any degree of sanity while surrounded by a host of drips, letches and silly-minded girls, this is the clearest presentation of their situation that I have seen. The supporting characters' foibles are amplified almost into grotesques while Liz Bennett becomes a far more assured and indeed sexy woman, making her a heroine with whom it is actually possible to sympathise. While this treatment may well upset the purists, it should be a great relief to everyone else. 5 August to 9
August.
| |