If you are a fan of Jane Austen you won’t want to miss the next offering from Woy Woy Little Theatre.
The group will present Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, based on characters from Austen’s famous book Pride and Prejudice, at Peninsula Theatre from October 25.
Written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, the play has been directed for WWLT by Sarah Lovesy.
The romantic comedy with plenty of drama draws its inspiration from the 1813 novel.
Mary Bennet, the middle sister of the five Bennet siblings, goes to spend Christmas with her sisters Lizzy and Jane and their husbands Darcy, and Bingley at Pemberley – the grand estate.
Lydia, the giggling younger sister, also joins them.
Mary is bookish, seriously scientific, a virtuoso on the pianoforte and misunderstood.
She had no interest in matrimony until the arrival of the equally bookish and socially inept Lord Arthur de Bourgh.
Their growing attraction is awkward and clumsy.
It is full of misunderstandings caused at times by Lydia’s flirtatious antics, Anne de Bourgh’s social snobbery and their own emotional incompetencies.
The play centres on family dynamics, societal expectations and personal growth and is set in 1815 Regency period in England.
Lovesy said it had been an “absolute pleasure” to work with a talented cast and creative team.
“I offer a special thank you to Keith Cherry who built the fabulous mock-up pianoforte,” she said.
“During rehearsals we have had plenty of laughs as well as hard work trying to grasp Regency England’s manners and mores as well as add our own flair,” she said.
“Experimental rehearsals have allowed us to bring this beautiful play to life.”
The cast comprises Kirsti Blythe as Anne De Bourgh, Samara Dawson as Jane Bingley, Jake Cain-Roser as Arthur De Bourgh, Tahni De’ Athe as Lydia Wickham, Lucia Mandile as Elizabeth Darcy, Karyn Wiffen as Mary Bennet, Jarrod Rizzardo as Fitzwilliam Darcy and Troy Hester as Charles Bingley.
The play opens on Friday, October 25, for 10 performances over three weekends at Peninsula Theatre, Woy Woy.
Bookings can be made at woywoylt.com