THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT JANE WANTED

I am confident in saying that Pride & Prejudice (sort of) is the best thing I will have seen all year (and I'm holding myself to that). If you are already confused and wondering "what Pride & Prejudice (sort of) is", well let me tell you! It is a hilariously smart and beautifully chaotic theatrical retelling of Pride & Prejudice (duh) by Jane Austen (double duh). Isobel McArthur, the writer and co-director, must be some sort of genius because before the show was even over my friend excitedly whispered to me that "this is exactly what Jane would've wanted!" (a play on something I've previously written... This is Not What Jane Wanted).

Did a mention that the play has sprinkled in some classic hit songs like You're So Vain by Carly Simon and At Last by Etta James to spice up certain scenes with a good laugh. But I also found that the songs generally aid in contextualizing scenes by using something modern audiences will know to help us immediately understand the situation playing out (especially helpful if you don't know anything about P&P or know the story in full).

Really the only other thing you need to know about the show, other than it being absolutely incredible, is that it is currently playing in Toronto until January 21st. You can also check the Pride & Prejudice (sort of) website for UK tour dates (although currently there are none). Now, I'm going to include some possible spoliers for the show, so if you want any spoliers feel free to click off (I promise I won't be mad).

Firstly, at the top of the show the all of the actors in the show, so 5, come out and are maids, cleaning the stage, etc. But then different actors put on different outfits on top of their maid dress and become the various characters of P&P. About half through the first act I thought, "oh it would be great (and really funny) if they were still the maids but they were just playing out the story of P&P"... and guess what, they were! Which I am a little happy about just because I guessed that happening but I also just think it is a really smart way of inhancing the storytelling and comedy in the play.

There are also some technical aspects of the show that add comedy, like using quick lighting cues to create (multiple) in person jump cuts! Something I've never seen before (or thought I would see like in REAL LIFE?).

Anyways, I can't really speak to a lot of technical things so I'll leave that and go to something I can speak to, the writing. One of my favourite moments, that immediately made be gasp and laugh out loud, and has been stuck in my mind since seeing the play happens with Wickham. As Wickham and Elizabeth meet for the first time, Elizabeth asks Wickham about Darcy and specifically if he knew Georgiana. To this Wickham tries to say "barley" but instead says "baby" (and then quickly corrects himself)! It is a perfect line because not only does it hint at Wickham and Georgiana's part relationship but also because she was 15 and he was an adult man when said relationship occured. Seriously, that's some great writing.

Seeing this show also made me realize something I never had before about Pride & Prjudice. While Wickham was giving his whole "oh how Darcy has wronged me" speech, I realized how Austen sets up the story to make the audience prejudiced. So far all we've seen about the rich and powerful people in the story is that, for the most part, they are bad characters. So of course we would believe that Darcy would be capable of not giving Wickham what he deserves. But, obviously, when we learn about the real story we realize Darcy is not the bad guy in this story and it was in fact Wickham.

I digress, the show in amazing. It's the thing to go see whether you're an Austen fan or not. It's a ball, it's a party.

If someone doesn't turn this into a movie... I'll do it myself!

Oh, and f**k Lady Catherine de Bourgh!