Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice (published 1813) at around the age of 21. In her time, an unwed daughter of this age would have caused parents growing anxiety. This concern affects the novel’s Mr and Mrs Bennet of Longbourn House, Hertfordshire. Sliding into genteel poverty, they differ on whether their daughters should marry to protect the family’s standard of living, or for love.
The incentive to marry off … well … any of their five daughters, is high. Mr Bennet is getting on, and the entailment of his estate only allows it to pass to a male relative. So, housing insecurity isn’t such a new problem.
Mindful of this, theatre company Bloomshed have chosen Pride and Prejudice as yet another classic text deserving of their brand of parody (A Streetcar Named Desire was a recent offering), which also intends to make comment on modern Australia.
The runtime of around 80 minutes necessitates a compression of various storylines. Unsurprisingly, there’s a cost of some character depth. Still, those familiar with the source will likely be quite amused by the peculiar shorthand or audacious reinventions employed for various characters and situations.
From the beginning, the sound design by Justin Gardam hinted that this might not be a genteel night at the theatre. Rather than a sedate form of Georgian-era piano music, our opening featured rather more raucous folk (maybe Klezmer?) tunes.
The daughters are almost always at the centre of the action, for different reasons. We’re given a little about their natures through quite direct opening remarks from Mrs Benett (Emily Carr). Eldest Jane (Anna Louie) is “the sexy one” and she knows it from her self-confidence and dance moves.
Next-oldest Elizabeth (a spirited Elizabeth Brennan) is introduced as the “intellectual” with a tone of disappointment, suggesting that this reduces her desirability. The other sisters are still girls, and their traits are somewhat exaggerated for comedic effect.
Mary (Lauren Swain) is now a goth (a distinction supported by one of Costume Designer Samantha Hastings’ useful touches) who’s partial to a good scowl. Fifteen-year-old Lydia (Laura Aldous) is quite interested in attending balls and military officers.
Only slightly older, Kitty (Syd Brisbane), as the source would have it, isn’t allowed the adventures, debates, or foibles of her sisters. Yet, in this telling, the daughters are far more able to make their own decisions, and decorum isn’t the only casualty.
Making more room for the women’s stories must have forced certain changes. Mr Bennet is now a potplant, which comes at a cost of some of his best lines, but barely changes his emotional range.
The potential suitors of the Bennet daughters are all here. The wealthy Mr Bingley (James Malcher) is practically giddy about Jane. His close friend Mr Darcy (James Jackson) is filthy rich, and almost as sceptical about Elizabeth as she is of him and his ilk. Mr Wickham (also Swain) brings slippery cool-dude vibes shield him from the kind of scrutiny given the dour Mr Darcy.
Priest Mr Collins (Brisbane again), a cousin of the Bennet daughters and likely heir to their home, regularly directed us back to one the play’s main concerns: the relationship between land and wealth, and how concentrated both have become.
How unseemly it was that even a man of the cloth could progressively lose concern for his flock as his own real estate portfolio grew. Such a jab at rich “lefties” who benefit greatly from Australia’s treatment of property investors is darkly amusing.
Aside from marrying well, we aren’t given any hint of an antidote to this wicked problem. Of course, given the property holdings of both the political class and many voters in some areas, there is an entrenched conflict of interest in making change.
So it seems Bloomshed’s Pride and Prejudice has been pitched very smartly. Opening night had some large school groups in. If they weren’t aware of how many of them will be excluded from the housing market, then discussions around this work will do them a service, especially as these students become voters.
Bloomshed have done well in turning a slow-moving love story into something that had flashes of being a Rom-Com, if maybe the genre was invented by Spike Milligan. Scenes such as a smouldering exchange in a storm, or Brennan’s escape from a proposal, or a recess with Malcher’s stern Lady de Bourgh, regularly elicited laughs from the audience, and very nearly from the players. Whilst this was often a rather silly take on Jane Austen, it was certainly entertaining to watch Bloomshed go about their play with a classic.
Bloomshed’s Pride & Prejudice
Darebin Arts Centre, 401 Bell Street, Preston
Performance: Thursday 31 July 2025
Season continues to 10 August 2025
Bookings: www.arts.darebin.vic.gov.au
Following the Darebin season, Bloomshed’s Pride & Prejudice will play at the Geelong Arts Centre on 15 & 16 August 2025. For more information, visit: www.bloomshed.org for details.
Images: The Cast of Bloomshed’s Pride & Prejudice – photo by Sarah Walker | Syd Brisbane, Laura Aldous, Anna Louey, Elizabeth Brennan and Lauren Swain in Bloomshed’s Pride & Prejudice – photo by Sarah Walker | Elizabeth Brennan and James Jackson in Bloomshed’s Pride & Prejudice – photo by Sarah Walker
Review: Jason Whyte