I FREELY admit that I am a great fan of the wonderful BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the shamefully underrated Benjamin Whitrow’s study of Mr Bennet.

So when I first came across this spoof of Jane Austen’s novel, I arrived full of prejudice. How dare they, I thought, mix Miss Austen’s wonderful commentary on late 18th century English society with songs associated with, among others, Elvis Costello, Carly Simon, Carole King, The Partridge Family, Chris de Burgh (who is apparently related to Lady Catherine de Burgh and played here in wonderfully flamboyant style by Christine Steel) – and then throw in a few modern expletives for good measure.

For all of that, I had to admit that Isobel McArthur’s adaptation, using five servant girls to act out the 18 characters, was cleverly done and remarkably kept the joke going for most of the evening. Coming to this production, again directed by the author, with a much more open mind I could better appreciate the talents of the five actors, and just how close, despite moments of farcical mayhem, the original storyline was presented. And was it my imagination, or was the serious side of the characters now being far more closely examined, particularly the relationship between Rhianna McGreevy’s at times almost frighteningly realistic Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Naomi Preston Low’s fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet.

Acting as stage crew as well as actors, the cast kept the production swinging along at a merry pace throughout, scenery and characters swapping at dazzling speed. It was fascinating to watch the way in which the male characters were created – Susie Barrett, who added a wonderfully unpalatable Mr Collins to her four female roles, Emma Rose Creaner’s gushing romantic Charles Bingley fading seamlessly into his snobbish sister Caroline, and remarkably the grey in-dress-and-character Charlotte Lucas, was played by the same actor. Christine Steel produced a lovely piece of stage business reading her lines as George Wickham off the back of his hands before metamorphosing into a controlled caricature of the overblown harridan that is Lady Catherine Burgh.

Wisely, no-one tried to follow in Benjamin Whitrow’s giant shoes, the back of an armchair and a newspaper being all that Rhianna McGreevy’s expertly frustrated Mrs Bennet could verbally assault.

This production could not survive without terrific teamwork, each player bouncing dialogue and actions of another, and here we have a fine five-strong cast.

This hybrid mixture of farcical comedy, serious drama and pop songs may not please every audience as much as those at the (very appreciative) press night gathering, but even detractors should have nothing but praise for the wide talents of the five players, as well as the skill of author/director Isobel McArthur in the way in which she has, showing a great deal of respect for the original, adapted Jane Austen’s beautifully-observed romantic vision of late 18th century life.

GRP