theatre

This is not your typical Jane Austen show. This is meta chaos.

Act I is what you would expect from anything attached to Jane Austen and the regency era; talks of marriage for both love and gain, a ball (complete with dance), proper introductions being made, and fast proposals. But what happens when the author inserts herself into the story and the characters rebel? Act II is a chaotic ride answering just that … and then some.

Please note I am calling the actors and actresses “performers” to avoid any unintentional mis-gendering.

The theatre boasts 120 seats, and at the time of the show starting, I could only spot four empty seats in the U-shaped space. This meant there were plenty of people to distract a performer as they laughed at the well-timed, well-delivered jokes. But the performers were professional, and each of them lost within the scene, not appearing to ever notice the loud, or occasionally scattered, laughter.

The stage was deep, but it was not of a typical size or shape. Performers were sometimes standing less than a metre in front of the front row audience, providing an immersive experience for all involved. This U-shape was paired with a second-storey balcony stage, only a few metres deep and appearing as part of the stage structure if you didn’t know any better. The few rows of stairs and the walkways surrounding the seating area were included as part of the stage a few times. Personally, I wish they could’ve had more opportunities from the script to use the walkways and stairs; the creative use elevated and enhanced the experience.

Being U-shaped was also a downfall for the performers. It can be challenging enough for a performer on stage not to turn their back on the audience, but in this instance, it often couldn’t be helped. Parts of the audience missed out on the comical reactions, the subtle and not-so-subtle facial expressions, and even important prop sightings. It was infrequent, but some moments were stagnant, with performers seeming to forget half the audience was behind them (yes, this did happen on purpose a few times, and it was well blocked for those particular scenes), and I could see audience members straining to spot the speaker. The first interaction between the author, Laura, and our lead, Emma, was alive and energetic, covering the stage and including everyone around them. Understandably, there’s only so much you can do with a space such as this one, and this was the only downfall of the performance that this author noticed. I feel it is important to note that even if the performer’s back was turned, at no point did I struggle to hear or understand what was being said; every performer had a clear voice and pronunciation, even if their characters ran their words together.

In saying that, the cast acted and reacted with and to one another spectacularly. If there were a crowd in the background they brought the foreground scene to life with murmurings, rustles, and reactions to the main speaker. Carefully choreographed scenes were executed so in sync that it seemed natural. They brought not only spoken comedy, but also a varying amount of slapstick and physical comedy to keep the audience on their metaphorical toes.

Helping to keep the audience on their toes were the set changes. While each set was minimalist, stagehands weren’t the ones changing the sets; rather, the performers were. While this was done well, and background noise over the speakers guided the audience into a scene change, some scenes changed so rapidly that it took a moment to catch up. While this worked with the script, when you aren’t expecting it to happen in this style, it can be jarring to begin with. The lighting is perfect for the story, and has few large changes, aside from some spotlights and some coloured choices in the second act, but does little to guide the audience through a set change. As an audience member, we must remember that while Jane Austen would never allow a well-bred member of society to carry their own chair, the meta version of these characters certainly don’t mind.

The costumes were beautifully regency era, and aside from the Redcoats, each character was sporting different colours and accessories to stand out to the crowd. If you aren’t familiar with the characters these costumes were incredibly helpful in keeping up with who was who. There were minimal costume changes, but the big ones that weren’t pointed out by the performers felt like easter eggs for the audience … one or two of the dresses even had pockets! The costumes represented the social standing of each character with elegance, tassels, careful embroidery, and well-chosen shoes.

As for the characters … I am hesitant to say too much and risk ruining anything for the readers. Be prepared to laugh, gasp, sigh, and maybe get a little teary. See the Watson family, in real time, lose some, win some, become appalled, find love, and even lust. Observe the Osborne family derail themselves to become the more interesting, more fulfilling versions of themselves. See side characters take a stand to be more involved in the story, or demand they get to grow and learn their endings; watch a cad find his way in the world; find out that the Redcoats have names; and try to spot Nanny polishing silverware for almost an entire scene.

In summary, everything has been thought of to reflect the (multiple) existential crises happening before you. I found each performer to be captivating, without stealing the spotlight from other cast members – even with some of those spectacular sideburns. Act II has more modern vernacular and is slightly crude (there are content warnings in the programs you can purchase at the ticket booth), but is tastefully done, for the most part. This is meta, this is fourth wall breaking, this is not always polite society, but it is laughing at itself and having fun.

I will say, I feel that one content warning is missing: If you are a writer, be prepared to potentially feel personally victimised by some of Laura’s lines about why writers write.

All in all, the performance begs you to find the answer to the question, “Is that very Jane Austen?”

To book tickets to The Watsons, please visit https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1324505.

Photographer: Richard Parkhill

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