Sense & Sensibility

Yes, the classic tale is on at Circa Theatre, this time credited to Jane Austen and Penny Ashton. Remember her? She’s done several Austen-related productions – Austen Found, Promise & Promiscuity, and a Dickensian adaptation, Olive Copperbottom, with the inimitable Mrs Scabbybits.

In the past she’s been confined to one-or two-handers, but this time we’re in Circa One with a full-on production featuring six – yes six! count ‘em! – actors, playing a total of 22 characters. The main characters, the Dashwood sisters, are the sole roles for the top-billed actors, but everyone else has to double up and play multiple roles.

The show is a 6:30 start, so we went to old favourites Mr.Go’s for an early dinner. We decided to mix it up and not go for our usual order, so we forwent the Korean chicken wings and typhoon prawns in favour of pork dumplings and Xinjiang lamb, and Minchi from their current regional featured menu, Macau. All very tasty as ever. They’re currently running a promotion if you dine there and spend over $70, which is to get $25 off at any of their restaurants (Mr. Go’s, Ombra, and Kisa) next time. A plan was put into effect…

It's a five-minute walk down Taranaki Street to get to Circa, and we were there in plenty of time. The stage set was fairly bare, with a lot of movable furniture which could be wheeled on and off, as required. Penny Ashton, for once, is not on the stage – this time she’s graduated to sound and graphic designer, and director.

The play follows the story fairly accurately. Without the special effects afforded a film set, the improvised coach rides, including overnight stops, were hilariously rendered. Doorways and hedges, beds and chairs were used to give different settings in London, Devonshire (as it was then known)  and Sussex. The characterisations, especially of the supporting characters, have been exaggerated – largely so you can tell them apart, as they are often played by the same person’ Notably Amy Tarleton, who covers four of the male characters, as well as Fanny and Miss Grey. Time passing was indicated by supporting characters running across the stage, one holding an hourglass and the other holding a placarding reading March, which she flipped over to show May…and then back again with another that read June, flipped to August. There! Six months have elapsed!

The dialogue, whilst retaining the flavour and essence of Austen’s, has also been updated with a few modern jokes slipped in from time to time. Despite the seriousness of the original, this is, if not exactly played for laughs, certainly a comedic interpretation of the original.

The music, from the William Tell overture to Beethoven, also encompassed more modern renditions, notably Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out For A Hero, when the cad* Willoughby rescues Marianne, and Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) for the dream sequence at the beginning of Act 2; both in orchestral versions of the tune. There were also other modern songs included but I was unable to put my finger on them other than recognising the tune.

All’s well that ends well, and it’s a jolly romp through Austen. Next up is Ashton’s take on some fella from Stratford on Avon, later in the year…looking forward to that as well.

 

* Spoiler alert.