CULTURE CLUB
MIRIAM BALANESCU SPEAKS TO ISOBEL MCARTHUR, CO-DIRECTOR, CREATOR AND ACTOR IN THE RIOTOUS REGENCY ERA ROMP, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF) BACKSTAGE Universally (Un) Acknowledged
14-19 Nov
n an already swamped landscape of adaptations of Jane Austen’s ubiquitous novel Pride and Prejudice , adding something new to the mix is no mean feat. And yet, Isobel McArthur’s Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is unlike any Austen adaptation that has come before – an all-female, all-singing, all-dancing take. The Laurence Olivier award-winner came into being when Andy Arnold, artistic director of the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, announced in 2018 that he was looking for an adaptation of a canonical tome. Isobel immediately headed to the snug second- hand bookshop above her flat and piled up a stack of 50p paperbacks. “My degree was in Scottish literature, so Jane Austen wasn’t on the agenda or an author I was familiar with, other than all that pop-cultural baggage that comes with her notoriety,” says Isobel. “But I sat down and started reading Pride and Prejudice . I had all kinds of expectations and predilections. I was so surprised when, on page one, I was laughing my head off. “I watched the Bollywood, zombie, Laurence Olivier and the BBC 90s versions, because I felt like I needed to know what this echo of an echo chain was that I was contributing to,” continues Isobel. Reclaiming the story from a female, working-class perspective, Isobel started with turning this comedy of manners into a more accessible tale, told from the perspective of four downstairs servants.
IMAGES © MATT CROCKETT
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS This unique adaptation is sure to please
theatre, and we need to remember that variety, entertainment, gags and music are the things that used to see huge working- class audiences.” Havoc being at the heart of this adaptation, there have already been some mishaps – but that’s part of the fun. “At the Minack Theatre, we pushed on a trolley full of drinks. As soon as it was let go of, it sailed upstage and off the cliff!” laughs Isobel. “They say that some plays are like working in retail, where you’re hanging around for 27 pages, waiting for something to happen after your next entrance or your next line. Then, some plays are like working in a busy bar on a Friday night – you never stop. This is definitely one of those plays. “ Pride and Prejudice was always a woman’s story,” declares Isobel. “It’s set during the Napoleonic Wars. The majority of household servants were women as so many men were conscripted. Masters were even fined for hiring male servants.” Co-directed by Simon Harvey and with a dazzling, multi-talented cast, don’t miss Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at Cambridge Arts Theatre from 14 to 19 November, for a rollicking twist on an old classic.
All roles – including Mr Darcy – are acted by the small, female cast, necessitating swift costume changes. “I wanted to make Austen for Glaswegian audiences in the first instance,” recalls Isobel. “Therefore, that was probably going to be people who, like me, thought this stuff was very ‘English’, possibly about crumby-voiced dukes in drawing rooms thinking they’re having a tough time of it when there are real people in the world who are being overlooked and undervalued. “It’s a doubly transgressive act for the working-class, female servants to put on Mr Darcy’s jacket and play the most high-status, male character in the story,” explains Isobel. “That way, we could make the piece in the spirit of the kind of cultural space that I cut my teeth in, embodying qualities of Glasgow music hall.” The musical element of the show, embedding karaoke classics, is one way Isobel makes the story feel modern. “We’ve got quite a big tradition in Glasgow of what’s called ceilidh theatre, where it’s actors, musicians and singers doing the whole thing,” says Isobel. “We’ve created an intellectual and class exclusivity around
18 NOVEMBER 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook