O Mr Darcy, what have they done?
Playwright Matt Semple has taken Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice and turned it into a ninety-minute hysterical romp! Full of double entendre and clever metaphors, the script has the audience laughing with amusement and delight.
Playing Downstairs at the Maj, this small, intimate setting enables the cast to quickly establish a rapport with the audience and engage them in the performance. From the moment you enter the venue, you’re transported back to the Regency era, as actors greet you in the customs and language of the time. The audience is immediately swept up in the merriment and hilarity of the evening.
Renamed Plied and Prejudice, this version – performed by just five actors – features a unique twist: one actor must take shots of tequila at specific points during the show. Hence the term plied (drunk). The identity of this actor is determined by an audience member who draws a name from a wine bottle holder. On opening night, the “lucky” actor was Ayesha Gibson.
The audience is also encouraged to join in the drinking with sense and sensibility, of course. It is swing Oliver Clare’s task to present Gibson with the bottle of tequila and pour her shots. His cheeky and comical stage presence added to the hilarity of these moments.
Alongside Gibson, cast members Lucy Goodrick, Jess Lally, Patrick Gandin, and RP van der Westhuizen play twenty characters with wit, absurdity and sharp satirical lampooning.
Gibson manages to manoeuvre the audience through the complex plot in just ninety minutes – while trying to remain sober. She brings an air of aristocracy to her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet that is authentically funny. The scene in which Mr Darcy proposes is initially sentimental but quickly turns comical with the unexpected inclusion of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up.
Gandin and van der Westhuizen bounce off each other with hilarious innuendo and pun-filled exchanges. Gandin seamlessly transforms from Mr Darcy to three of the Bennet sisters, Kitty, Lydia, and Mary, with the aid of a simple cardboard prop. His portrayal of the three sisters has the audience in fits of laughter.
Gandin’s standout comedic moments include Mr Darcy appearing in a soaked white shirt (after being shot with water pistols by the audience) and later reappearing as a bride, complete with an exposed red G-string!
Van der Westhuizen’s portrayal of Mr Collins is delightfully repulsive, as he slithers across the stage and delivers his lines while dramatically drawing back spit. It is easy for the audience to dislike the character as they willingly join in a chorus, calling him an appropriately crass nickname.
Jess Lally plays her characters with a loud, brash energy, while Lucy Goodrick brings some sensibility to the comedic chaos. A particular highlight is Lally’s portrayal of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who lounges on a central sofa with prosthetic breasts exposed, as van der Westhuizen kneels at her feet pretending to breastfeed.
Penny Challen’s set and costume design is simple yet effective, instantly transporting the audience to the Regency age. Towering works of art adorn the walls of the performance space, while the costumes allow the actors to seamlessly change characters in a matter of seconds.
Off to the side, a cosy room resembles Mr Darcy’s den. And for a final touch of immersive whimsy, a giant waistcoat and top hat sticker above the men’s bathroom mirror lets the bold among us capture a selfie.
While the plot twists and turns at a breakneck pace, and at times can be a bit hard to follow, it really does not matter. This production is all about the laughs, hilarity and sheer debauchery.
Plied and Prejudice is a riotous evening of fun that will have you enthusiastically engaging in the merriment and joviality of the evening. And to truly immerse yourself in the experience, why not don your Regency finest and dress up for a night of 19th-century revelry?
Plied and Prejudice
Downstairs at The Maj – His Majesty’s Theatre, 825 Hay Street, Perth
Performance: Wednesday 23 July 2025
Season: 18 July – 28 September 2025
Information and Bookings: www.artsculturetrust.wa.gov.au
Images: The Cast of Plied and Prejudice (Perth, 2025) – photos by Danica Zuks
Review: Craig Dalglish