It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in Regency England must be in want of a very stiff drink. That’s the tagline for this new production showing in London following a successful run in Australia. Jane Austen’s novel has been brought to life in this modern, strictly over-18 twist with a slightly feminist slant. It’s fair to say that the dialogue isn’t exactly what I learnt at school (I’m not sure that my English teacher would have approved of the slightly sweary dialogue) but the story and characters came flooding back thanks to the characterisation of the cast.

It is billed as a truly immersive experience and it certainly is – from being announced upon arrival in the queue, to the dulcet tones of a two-piece string ensemble playing above the bar, you feel as though you are guests at the ball. The tunnels under Waterloo station have been imaginatively transformed into the ballroom and the theatre space is lined with benches for the audience, interspersed with tables bearing QR codes so that drinks can be brought directly to you as you join in the fun. In this setting, the bar staff seem to be included in the cast, given that they are playing the roles of servants by bringing drinks to the audience. At the end, the audience is cordially invited to participate in the wedding celebrations, and dance training for the ball is provided before the arrival of the bride and groom, and after they depart, the DJ continues playing music to dance to.

Plied and Prejudice. Photo: Guy Bell

Five actors energetically take on the roles of 20 characters, some with more parts to play than others, making for a lively rendition of Austen’s masterpiece as they run up and down the performance area, changing costumes frequently. The cast effortlessly switches from their Australian accents when setting the scene to the cut-glass Hampshire accents of the Bennet family as well as other regional accents to help to distinguish between the different characters. I was in awe of the speed of the delivery and this switching certainly helped with the narration and added to the fast pace of the play.  Audience members are enlisted to play some of the minor roles and the actors join the audience on occasion – right next to where we were sitting! The Colin Firth wet-shirt scene has been included to “avoid the disappointment” of the audience members. Stuffy and old-fashioned, this was not. Uproariously witty and clever, it certainly was.

Plied & Prejudice is on at The Vaults Theatre, Launcelot Street, London, SE1 7AD

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Ruth Rayment compiles Premier Magazine’s theatre, music, art and culture pages which feature in every edition. You can browse the current edition HERE. Our additional monthly ‘what’s on’ bulletin can be viewed HERE.