Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
by Jane Austen

Off-Broadway
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) Book Cover
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) Cover

Highlights

120 mins19th CenturyStrong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle)Unit Set/Multiple SettingsPeriod CostumesComedy

Synopsis

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of); A loving and irreverent all-female adaptation of Jane Austen's unrivalled literary classic, winner of the Best Entertainment or Comedy Play at the Olivier Awards.

Press Reviews

"Mr. Davies’s script… [brings] a fresh perspective to the beloved tale, resonating with theatre enthusiasts and Austen aficionados alike."

— Leamington Observer

"A majour coup… some real comic moments, which the audience thoroughly enjoyed."

— Warwickshire World

"Hamill has a gift for condensing three-volume novels into galloping two-act plays. Her screwball Pride and Prejudice is as frolicsome as her earlier efforts. It hasn’t met a rib it can’t tickle."

— The New York Times

"The ever-ingenious Hamill has given us something completely and delightfully different, a smallish-cast period-dress Pride and Prejudice adapted with fizzy, festive freedom. Hamill’s is full of Bringing Up Baby-style slapstick and the kind of barely controlled chaos that you’d expect to see in a five-door Feydeau farce."

— Wall Street Journal

"Gives Austen’s novel a deliciously antic sensibility. This Pride and Prejudice has comedy at its heart, but regarding the treatment of women, it shows us enough unsettling similarities between the 18th century and now to make us pause thoughtfully between laughs."

— TheaterMania

Characters

Character
ACTOR 1

Plays JANE, late 20s to early 30s. The eldest and most beautiful Bennet daughter. Kind, idealistic, diffident. Always tries to do the right thing; and MISS de BOURGH, Lady Catherine’s daughter, a gremlin. Probably allergic to sun. Underneath all her veils, she may be covered in scales.

ACTOR 2

Plays LIZZY, a year or two younger than Jane. Clever, spirited; can be sharp-tongued. Gets flustered, which makes her klutzy. Prides herself on good judgment. Not especially beautiful. Very very scared of marriage, after absorbing the lessons of her parents’ marriage. (The actor playing Lizzy must not double.)

ACTOR 3

LYDIA, 14. The youngest Bennet. Lively, prone to imitating others’ behavior and eavesdropping; and LADY CATHERINE, patrician Caesar-meets-drill sergeant.

ACTOR 4

Plays MR. DARCY, late 30s to 40s. One of the richest men in England. Too proper for his own good; awkward in most social contexts. Prides himself on self-control and good judgment. (The actor playing Mr. Darcy must not double.)

ACTOR 5

Plays MR. COLLINS, a pedantic, obtuse man. The original mansplainer. Rector to Lady Catherine; WICKHAM, an unfairly handsome and charming gentleman. Probably a sociopath. Raised with Darcy; and MISS BINGLEY, a very rich, very beautiful young woman. Fancies herself witty.

ACTOR 6

Plays MR. BINGLEY, late 30s to 40s. Loves the world and the world loves him. Mr. Darcy’s particular friend. Almost literally a dog; and MARY, the third Bennet girl. Violent and dark undertones; prone to pedanticism and sulking. A dark goth Brontë character trapped in an Austen world. Coughs to get attention, or to make a point; may fancy that she is dying.

ACTOR 7

Plays CHARLOTTE LUCAS, same age as Lizzy. A practical girl with a good sense of humor; and MR. BENNET, the patriarch of the Bennet family. Finds amusement in absurdity; often looks for respectable escape from the chaos of his family life. Can be somewhat apathetic; probably a bit depressed, under everything. Enjoys antagonizing. Disappointed in marriage.

ACTOR 8

Plays MRS. BENNET, the matriarch of the Bennet family. Mostly a silly woman, of mean understanding and variable temper. Hypochondriac; when she’s upset, she fancies that she’s dying. The business of her life is to get her daughters married. She traumatizes her family with some regularity; and SERVANTS, all servants with lines in this production happen to be characters who are men.

Videos

Pride and Prejudice Sneak Peek

Available Editions

FormatPrice
Paperback · Jerome
£12.88
Paperback · Hamill
£15.43
Paperback · Davies
£16.84

Publication

Year2019
BindingPaperback
EditionJerome
ISBN-139780573614262
ISBN-100573614261

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a comedy play written by Jane Austen and published by Nick Hern Books (2019).

Community Reviews

No community reviews yet

Rating

4.1

9 ratings

Review

Buy Play

Performance Rights

Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee:Minimum Fee: $130 per performance
Apply for Rights

Similar Plays

Plays with similar themes, style, and content.

More from Jane Austen

More plays from Jane Austen that we think you'll enjoy.