“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” That is the very first line of the Pride and Prejudice novel's opening chapter. In light of this quote, Gay Pride and No Prejudice - a new play written by David Kerby-Kendall and directed by Luke Fredericks - has indeed found a very original and appropriate angle. However, there are perhaps many more detailed bits that deserve to be scrutinised and polished.
As the play title suggests, Gay Pride and No Prejudice is no longer a story centered on the love of Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley. In this version, Darcy and Bingley are childhood friends who fall in love with each other at an early age but are afraid to reveal their feelings due to the disapproval of same-sex love in the context of the times. Bingley even decides to follow the expectations of his surroundings by marrying a wife and living the life described in the "truth". However, when he tries to implement this principle, he realizes that it is not as simple as he thought.
This play does a very natural job of developing the plot of the first act. In dim lighting (George Sellis), the elderly Darcy sits in a chair and reads a letter from Jane to a soft Chopin nocturne (Nick Gates). After Darcy finishes reading the letter, the audience travels back in time to the very beginning of the Pride and Prejudice story - Mrs. Bennet has just learned of Bingley's impending arrival. The first act of the play largely follows the plot of the novel but with some sensible changes in detail. The original lines in this scene are also quite in keeping with the characters' personalities and are comfortable without feeling fragmented.
Kerby-Kendall wisely doesn't make Darcy and Bingley know their feelings for each other by heart at the beginning, and while retaining the original pacing, adding small interactions between the two, where the chemistry between the two is already quietly occurring in such tiny gestures as straightening a bowtie. There's just the right amount of humour throughout the entire production, and it's easy to laugh along with the unintentional comedy. Although many characters are absent throughout the play - such as Elizabeth and Jane's three sisters, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia - it doesn't quite affect the plot or make it seem unnatural.
Sophie Bloor (Elizabeth Bennet), Sophie Bradley (Jane Bennet), Michael Gillette (Darcy), Noah Butt (Bingley), Marianne March (Mrs. Bennet), and David Kerby-Kendall (Mr Bennet) all delivered very naturalistic and life-like performances that were very comfortable to watch. The characters often interacted and reacted with each other in a very spontaneous way. A lot of the time, it is in little details like this that the characters' personalities and relationships are brought out. Of the several actors, Bloor's Elizabeth is particularly witty, intelligent and delightful. March, on the other hand, portrays Mrs. Bennet in a way that is highly dramatic but not obnoxious at all. Kerby-Kendall gives a particularly life-like performance that draws you in, even though it's all rather subdued overall. Whenever Mr Bennet slips into reminiscence, the audience unconsciously follows his narration and listens closely to his story.
The staging (Bob Sterrett) is simple and precise. While there is not a lot of furniture utilised, the shifting positions of the furniture create transformations of the scene, allowing the characters to go from one environment to a completely different one in a very convincing way. The brick walls at the back of the stage also fit the period in which the production is set. Most of the time, the stage is lit with a very natural warm light (George Sellis), which suits the naturalistic acting style of the play.
Overall, the play does pick out aspects of Pride and Prejudice that are well worth delving into, though certain areas could be improved upon even more. With a little more consideration, the show could become a more thought-provoking, profound and beautiful work.
Gay Pride and No Prejudice runs at Union Theatre until 2nd November 2024. For more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Lucy Nixon
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