★★★★ Emma: Jane Austen brought to life on stage

Photography by Simon Annand

Flowing skirts, neoclassical art, George IV acting as regent for his father, Romanticism affecting the air. Literary focus shifts to emotions, subjectivity, and appreciation of nature. Significantly influential works are produced that will become classics in the twenty-first century - the likes of Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, and of course, Austen.

Now adapted for the stage, Jane Austen’s last novel to be published in her lifetime, Emma, follows its eponymous character, Emma Woodhouse, a clever young woman in the village of Highbury. Though believing she herself will never marry, she is so confident in her matchmaking skills that she constantly attempts to find suitable matches for her friends, leading to a series of misunderstandings and self-realisations. 

It's safe to say that Emma is one of Jane Austen’s more comical works compared to others. I thoroughly enjoyed it when I read it. I was interested in the Regency period as context, the characters, the plot, and felt the payoff when the story untangled the miscommunications to create a happy, resolved ending for everyone.

According to her niece, before she began the novel, Austen wrote to her, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” Emma is spoiled, arrogant, and infuriating. Despite that, she is able to win the hearts of readers and audiences, because she does care and mean well beneath it all. India Shaw-Smith portrayed that perfectly, in the frustration evoked towards the character, yet still wanting her to find her happy ever after. In fact, her flaws were what made her a comical character - in both her characterisation and that of the characters around her. 

Emma’s father, Mr Woodhouse, knows better than anyone what she can be like. His playful weariness portrayed by William Chubb had the entire audience in hysterics. From the very beginning, through to the end, his exaggerated manner, sarcastic remarks and mock-nervous responses to her shenanigans were hilarious. His characterisation makes him more of a comical character in contrast to the novel depicting him as an anxious figure throughout the story.

Mr Knightley, however, was exactly as I had pictured when I read it. Ed Sayer’s mannerisms, biting remarks, and chemistry with India Shaw-Smith made the pair very amusing to watch. Their banter and arguments were playful, funny, and fairly obvious where their relationship was heading, clear to everyone but themselves. He was my favourite character when I read the book, and remained so, alongside Chubb’s Mr Woodhouse, in the show.

The story on stage was modernised ever so slightly, which some may not like, but I thought it made the story more accessible for all audiences. That change also enhanced the comedic elements of the story as opposed to an emphasis on drama, which went down well. The audience was laughing throughout the show and having a great time. A particular highlight was Oscar Batterham’s Elton eating an entire basket of strawberries so Mrs Elton didn’t have to ‘ruin her complexion.’ It was a sweet moment of love between two of the most frustrating, potentially antagonistic if there were any, characters, and certainly portrayed their relationship in a more positive light. 

Another addition I liked was the deeper insight into Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill’s relationship. Jade Kennedy and Peter Losasso did a good job portraying their angst, secrecy, and complications surrounding the situation. Gaining a deeper understanding of how they came together while the main plot was playing on intertwined the threads of the story more intricately for me. 

The lighthearted, fun element of the show was immediately introduced with the opening music, setting the stage with a ball dancing scene. It provided historical context of the Regency period, set the tone of the show with its jolly nature, and indicated the background of the Woodhouses. With the extravagant photo frame depicting the ceiling, which lowered and retracted a chandelier depending on the scene, the economic and social class of the Woodhouses at Hartfield.

The furniture and props used to present the scenes at the estate were simple yet effective in indicating the setting, which was where the majority of the plot unfolded. There were some scenes at different houses, or outside, shown by lighting, change in furniture, addition of a tree, and costumes. The costumes were not dramatic and overexaggerated (the hats and bonnets were quite out-there, but that was the fashion at that time), yet clearly showed the period they were in. 

Maiya Louise Thapar’s Harriet Smith was a clear contrast to Emma with her naivete and sweet simplicity as an orphan girl of lower standing. The difference between their worlds were made clearer with Emma’s insistence on Harriet’s refusal of Robert Martin’s proposal on the basis of class and occupation, despite Harriet’s feelings towards him. Both Harriet and Daniel Rainford’s Robert displayed that class divide with their mannerisms of doubts and lack of assuredness, compared to Emma and Mr Knightley’s clear confidence in their posture, tone, and dress. The more simplistic outfitting of the working class compared to the upper class further enhanced their disparity. 

The combination of the language and tone used, staging, and dress, the time period was seamlessly immersive. The complexities of all the characters’ feelings and the masking thereof were reflected well through the drama and comedy of the show/

With the romantic elements really coming together in the second half of the show after the first half filled with miscommunication and angst, it was a heaving sigh of relief for someone who isn’t a fan of miscommunication tropes. The couples were clearing up misunderstandings and sharing their feelings, the atmosphere was lighthearted, and the story was resolving happily for every single character. The theatre was filled with a resounding ‘awwww.’

Whether or not you’ve read Jane Austen’s Emma, this show is for everyone. It’s both a celebration of the novel, and an enjoyable show for fans of romance, drama, comedy, and period pieces.