A hit with audiences and the press alike, Storyhouse at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre have revived their 2021 production of Pride and Prejudice for this year’s festival in the Chester park.
Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation of Austen’s novel aims squarely for the wit, charm and humour of the story, capitalising on the air of lighthearted fun that makes the GPOAT summer season what it is. There would be noses turned up at champagne corks popping or pizza being munched in your regular theatre, but here it is as much an integral part of the experience as the birds calling in the trees and the chiming of the nearby church clock, and there is a genuine sense of anticipation as the audience assembles well in advance of the play to enjoy its picnic and soak up the early evening atmosphere of the arena.
As usual here, a single cast will spend the summer alternating between performances of this and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (which opens next week) with most of them playing multiple roles in both.
Alyce Liburd is the only performer in Pride and Prejudice to have a single role throughout, as Elizabeth Bennett who, of course, the tale revolves around. She gets to both play her part and provide occasional narration in passages that help to keep the story moving forwards at pace. Here McAndrew has taken a cue from the narrative style of the novel, so these asides to the audience feel completely natural as part of the drama. Liburd and all those playing her sisters are nicely cast, with each having a very distinct personality that comes through really strongly even for those with fewer lines to say.
Of course, the text is tremendously important in a story of this nature, and especially when there is so much humour in the little quips, one-liners and ‘in-jokes’ about the locality. There are obvious acoustic challenges to performing in an open space surrounded by soft surfaces and with no roof, but the cast all have exemplary vocal projection skills, and even when playing towards the opposite side of the arena every word is heard loud and clear.
Conrad Nelson’s direction keeps everything sprightly, and makes the very most of the comedy, whilst still maintaining the sharp social commentary and irony from the source material.
Victoria Brazier’s Mrs Bennett carries much of the weight of this, in her interactions both with her husband and the long lineup of potential suitors for her daughters. Eddy Westbury is perfect as both the duplicitous Mr Wickham and the charming Mr Bingley, whilst Ethan Reid is by turns practically a pantomime villain as Mr Darcy and very amusing as the simpering Mr Collins.
Howard Chadwick makes a welcome return from the 2021 cast in the dual roles of Mr Bennett and Lady Catherine De Bourgh, also throwing in a turn as the milliner for good measure.
Elevated by musical interludes played by the multi-instrumentalist cast themselves, Pride and Prejudice is an absolute delight, whether enjoyed in the afternoon warmth or with the sun setting atmospherically behind the awnings at one of the magical evening performances. It is worth noting that the performance comes in at a tidy 2 hours including the interval, making it convenient to negotiate transport if you are attending an evening show.
Pride and Prejudice runs in repertory at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre until 31st August with tickets available here, and you can buy drinks packages and freshly made pizzas either at the venue or in advance via the website.
The cast of Pride and Prejudice - Image by Mark NcNulty
Star Rating 4 stars
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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