Theatre: Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) at Exeter Northcott Theatre, 3rd-7th June 2025. Review by Adrian Clark

There was an air of excitement around Exeter’s Northcott Theatre for the opening night of Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of), which is currently on the last stage of its third UK tour. The show is a retelling of Jane Austen’s classic love story – originally published in 1813 – following the exploits of Mr Darcy, the Bennett sisters and a whole host of interesting characters brought to life in a distinctly irreverent style, hence the *sort of. Beginning life in 2018 at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre, the show has since gone from strength to strength, earning the writer and current director of the show, Isobel McArthur, both the Olivier award for Best Comedy as well as the Emerging Talent Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. After a brief stint in London’s West End at the Criterion Theatre, it’s been visiting venues throughout the UK on successive UK tours, with the current iteration on the road since September 2024. And it’s easy to see why it’s such an enduring hit.

© Photographer Mihaela Bodlovic

The show opens with the cast circulating the auditorium in their Marigolds, ‘cleaning’ the theatre, pretty much preparing the audience for what’s to come and generally setting the tone for an evening of mayhem. The set is designed by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita with pastel colours and a sweeping Regency staircase, which is used cleverly by the cast to hide props, making use of all the space to keep the action moving with extraordinary pace.

While not strictly a ‘musical’, the show uses songs – including Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? and Everyday I Write the Book – to great effect, progressing the plot and providing the all-female cast of five (playing roughly 18 characters between them, transitioning seamlessly!) with great opportunities for hilarity. I really didn’t know what to expect from the show as I’ve neither read the book nor seen any film or TV adaptations, but this mattered not: with their perfect comic timing the cast prove to be hysterically funny guides through a plot that is (apparently) quite true to the original.

© Photographer Mihaela Bodlovic

The talented cast at this performance were Emma Rose Creaner, Eleanor Kane, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Low and Christine Steel, and they all brought out something unique in the characters they played, finding every comedy nuance possible. Even when the cast were simply moving props they managed to make the audience laugh, sometimes with just a facial expression. To summarise, this show is an absolute laugh a minute, always teetering on the edge of being over the top but due to the clever writing and witty performances managing to maintain perfect balance. Whether you’re new to Jane Austen or an ardent fan, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that you will enjoy this show immensely!

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) is at Exeter Northcott Theatre until 7th June 2025. Tickets from £24.50. For more details and tickets, head HERE.