This production at the Theatre Royal is a glorious way to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen.
The cast of Emma | Photo © Simon Annand
The many costumed audience members brought a Regency flare to the proceedings. The production is effortlessly at home, without question, the full house laughed and enjoyed this greatly.
Emma Woodhouse (India Shaw-Smith) is someone who feels she is a capable matchmaker who tries to bring Mr. Elton (Oscar Batterham) and Harriet Smith (Maiya Louise Thapar) together. It does not end well.
Emma is obstinate and progressive; she ignores the good advice of George Knightley (Ed Sayer) and remains defiant that she will never marry.
This is a picture-perfect production by designer Ceci Calf alongside an atmospheric lighting design by Ben Ormerod.
Directed by Stephen Unwin, it is slick and neatly choreographed – transitions enable the action to unfold in a fluid, cinematic way.
The script grasped the acerbic humour, the fight for independence that Emma craves.
There is much laughter, no doubt the loyal Austen fans are waiting on each word. However, there is no challenge to the audience, the characters are lightly sketched with little depth.
Despite this, the production serves its purpose and brings the audience exactly what they would have expected proven by the rapturous applause at final curtain.
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Reviewer: Petra Schofield
