Pride & Prejudice (QPAC) – theatre review

It’s 250 years since Jane Austen was born and her witty, insightful works still endure. Pride & Prejudice remains one of the evergreen favourites for Austen fans, with several film, TV and stage adaptations having been produced over the years.

It’s Queensland Theatre’s turn with this joyous production that features an all-Queensland cast. Adapted by multi-award-nominees and winners Wendy Mocke and Lewis Treston, and directed by Bridget Boyle and new QT Artistic Director, Daniel Evans, the play is Austen melding with a touch of Bridgerton. There’s plenty of dancing to contemporary pieces of music by artists such as Lady Gaga, with some of the dance moves deliberately ludicrous, allowing the actors to ham it up and keep the audience in fits of laughter.

So, maybe it’s not for Austen purists, but it manages to remain true to the original, including being set in the Regency time period – complete with bonnets – but with some modern flavours added to the mix.

The main mood is that of fun. Sometimes referred to as the original romantic comedy, Pride & Prejudice looks at the societal norms and expectations around romance, marriage, class differences and property ownership, at a time when a woman was expected to be mercifully taken off the shelf through marriage before she was considered past it. One of the characters, Elizabeth Bennet’s best friend, Charlotte, bemoans that at the age of 27 she’s well past being considered wife material.

Maddison Burridge is a bright and intelligent Elizabeth, a woman who’s considered a bit weird because she likes to read all the time. Then there’s Andrew Hearle as Mr Darcy, who could not have been a closer match to Colin Firth’s portrayal in the popular BBC series. In fact, it’s quite uncanny. And homage is paid to the famous lake-swimming scene from that series in a hilarious sequence when Elizabeth tries to hide so she isn’t caught catching a glimpse of him.

All the cast members shine, with Gael Ballantyne a real treat as Mrs Bennet, constantly fussing around and concerned with getting the right matches for her daughters. Amy Ingram is also a stand-out in her scenes, playing both Charlotte and the comically stiff and judgmental Ms Bingley.

The ever-reliable Bryan Probets is Mr Bennet, while William Carseldine gives a star turn as Mr Bingley. Courtney Cavallaro, Daphne Chen, Chenoa Deemal, Perry Mooney and Jeremiah Wray all earn their place on the stage, and Cameron Hurry is very funny as the inveigling, marriage-seeking cousin of the Bennet sisters, Mr Collins.

Designer Christina Smith teamed up with Queensland Theatre’s costume supervisor Nat Ryner for the simple but accurate Regency costumes. The set design is functional and relatively simple, but most effective. For instance, instead of a huge set change to show a change of location, a model of a house is wheeled onto the stage to indicate that we’re now somewhere else. The touch of a garden across the front and sides of the stage is a delightful addition.

If the audience reaction to the opening night performance is anything to go by, word of mouth alone will ensure packed audiences for the rest of the play’s run. BYO bonnet.

Two hours 30 minutes, including interval, Pride & Prejudice is on at Playhouse at QPAC until 9th March, 2025.

Vicki Englund

Other reviews you might enjoy:

• Medea (Queensland Theatre) – theatre review
• The Sunshine Club (Queensland Theatre) – theatre review
• Noises Off (QT) – theatre review