Regency romance meets modern-day mayhem.
What happens when the people who spend their days cleaning up after the Bennet family are the ones who know the whole story?
That’s the wonderfully ridiculous premise behind Pride and Prejudice (sort of), the West End comedy now playing at QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre for the final stop of its Australian tour.
Forget the grand drawing rooms and polished Regency manners. Here, Jane Austen’s famous tale is handed over to five maids, who have watched the romance, gossip and family drama unfold from the sidelines — and decide it’s time to tell the audience what really happened.
The result is a riotous, cheeky and gloriously modern reimagining of Austen’s classic, where period costumes collide with pop songs, karaoke, live instruments, audience interaction and a very large fake horse.
“The maids have entered the chat.”
The fun begins before the curtain even rises. The five performers mingle through the audience during a playful pre-show “clean”, chatting with Brisbane theatregoers and each other as they prepare the theatre.
It’s a clever introduction to the world of Pride and Prejudice (sort of), immediately establishing that this isn’t going to be a conventional period drama.
Once the story gets underway, the maids take control of the narrative and play their way through Austen’s world, stepping into the shoes of an astonishing number of characters.
The transformations are deliberately theatrical rather than hidden. A new costume piece, accent, prop or change in physicality is often all that is needed to turn one character into another — and the audience is invited to enjoy the process.
There’s a wonderful sense of play throughout, with the cast regularly breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience.
Brisbane’s opening-night crowd was more than happy to get involved, making the interaction feel like a genuine conversation rather than a performance happening at a distance.
“Five women. Every character. Zero chill.”
The production’s props deserve a special mention. There’s a big fake horse, a karaoke machine, real microphones, maracas and an assortment of other theatrical surprises that appear at exactly the right moments.
Even the food gets a modern makeover, with Quality Street Chocolates making an unexpected appearance amid the Regency proceedings.
It’s these little details that make the production so much fun. Nothing feels too precious, and the show constantly finds ways to surprise the audience.
The musical element adds another layer to the madness. Amy Lehpamer plays the violin, drawing on her previous experience performing with the instrument in Once the Musical, while Ruby Shannon plays guitar.
Maracas and other instruments also make their way into the action, with the performers themselves becoming part of the musical accompaniment.
Then there are the microphones. At various points, the cast pick up real microphones, with the karaoke machine turning the Playhouse into something resembling a very unexpected Regency-era karaoke bar.
The soundtrack is just as cheeky, featuring recognisable songs including “Young Hearts Run Free”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “You’re So Vain”.
Hearing these familiar pop classics dropped into Austen’s world is part of the show’s irresistible charm. The contrast between Regency romance and modern music shouldn’t work quite as well as it does — but it absolutely does. “Where corsets meet karaoke.”
Amy Lehpamer is incredibly captivating in every production she appears in, and Pride and Prejudice (sort of) is no exception. As Tillie, Charlotte Lucas, Charles Bingley and Miss Bingley, she moves effortlessly between four very different personalities.
Amy’s Miss Bingley is particularly hilarious — a wonderfully try-hard social climber who seems absolutely determined to impress everyone around her, particularly when it comes to winning the approval of the people she wants to impress.
Lehpamer finds comedy in every look, gesture and mannerism, making Miss Bingley’s desperate attempts to appear effortlessly sophisticated even funnier. Her Charles Bingley provides a charming contrast, while her violin playing adds yet another dimension to a performance that is already bursting with energy and personality.
Zoe Ioannou plays Flo, Mrs Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, giving her some deliciously contrasting material. Her Mrs Bennet is wonderfully frantic and obsessed with matchmaking, while her Darcy is a hilariously heightened version of Austen’s brooding romantic hero.
Watching Zoe move between the two is a comic highlight, with Ioannou completely embracing the absurdity of both ends of the spectrum.
Kaori Maeda-Judge tackles Clara, Jane Bennet, George Wickham and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Her Jane brings the sweetness and romantic sincerity, while Wickham allows her to turn up the charm and swagger.
Lady Catherine is another story altogether — wonderfully imposing and theatrical, with Maeda-Judge finding plenty of humour in her commanding presence.
Ruby Shannon takes on Anne, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mister Collins and Mrs Gardiner, showcasing an impressive range. Her Mister Collins is particularly memorable, with Shannon leaning into his awkwardness, strange mannerisms and uncomfortable interactions for maximum comic effect.
Ruby also picks up the guitar throughout the show, adding live musicianship to an already impressively demanding performance.
Teo Vergara plays Effie and Elizabeth Bennet, bringing warmth and wit to Austen’s heroine. Their Elizabeth has the spirited independence audiences expect, while Effie provides an important connection to the maids’ perspective and the world they are observing.
Vergara brings an engaging presence to both sides of the story and helps give the romantic heart of the production its grounding.
“Austen’s classic gets a riotous remix.”
There’s something particularly satisfying about seeing the women who would traditionally be moving quietly around the edges of an Austen production become the storytellers themselves.
These maids aren’t simply observing the Bennet family’s romantic disasters — they’re recreating them, commenting on them and occasionally making them considerably more ridiculous.
The production embraces its girl-power spirit without losing sight of the comedy.
It’s five women taking ownership of a story traditionally dominated by grand romantic gestures and marriage plots, and turning it into their own theatrical playground.
The commitment from the entire cast is what makes the concept work. Every character, no matter how brief or ridiculous, is played with complete conviction. Just when you think you’ve worked out the rules, someone picks up a microphone, a maraca or a violin.
There’s no need to be an Austen expert to enjoy Pride and Prejudice (sort of). If you know the original, you’ll have fun spotting the characters and storylines being affectionately sent up. If you don’t, you can simply sit back and enjoy a very funny, energetic night of theatre.
The combination of live music, pop songs, inventive props, physical comedy, audience interaction and five hugely committed performers makes this an easy choice for a girls’ night, date night or anyone simply looking for a good laugh.
It’s silly without being careless, theatrical without taking itself too seriously and packed with enough surprises to keep the audience guessing.
“Come for the Austen. Stay for the chaos.”
After making its way around Australia, Pride and Prejudice (sort of) has arrived at its final destination in Brisbane — but only until 18 October at QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre.
For a show about servants, they certainly know how to leave an audience with something to talk about.
TICKETS
Now playing at Playhouse Theatre, QPAC until 18 October.
All images supplied.
