This summer The Pantaloons Theatre Company are touring outdoor venues around the country with their comic adaptation of Jane Austen’s masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice.
The critically-acclaimed Pantaloons are the company that successfully and safely staged 70 socially-distanced open-air performances in summer 2020 and are once again ready to perform when restrictions are lifted.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen’s witty and romantic masterpiece is one of the best-loved stories of all time, dealing with the most important questions in life…
Will Mrs Bennett manage to offload her numerous daughters in record time? Will Lizzy and Darcy actually get together? Will creepy Mr Collins just go away please?
The Pantaloons are known for their anarchic retellings of classic works of literature having previously put a hilarious spin on Sherlock Holmes, The Canterbury Tales, The War of the Worlds, The Odyssey and many of Shakespeare’s plays.
“We are known for being somewhat silly,” says writer and director Mark Hayward. “But with our Pride and Prejudice we stay respectful to the things that people love about the book in the first place. This production gives Austen fans what they are looking for in a staging – the romance, the scandals – whilst at the same time providing a great introduction to those who are new to the story and also interweaving the elements that make a show intrinsically Pantaloony.”
So, what are the elements that make a Pantaloons show unique? “Live music, audience interaction, physical performances, and a large dollop of humour,” says Hayward. “Austen’s original text is full of funny moments; we capitalise on those and add a few of our own.”
The critically-acclaimed Pantaloons began life 17 years ago as an open-air theatre company, busking plays for donations in parks and on the streets, where they developed an attention-grabbing, interactive and playful performance style.
“We characterise our work as post-modern folk theatre,” says Hayward. “We take well-loved tales and give them a contemporary twist, making them accessible for new audiences and showing seasoned fans something that they perhaps had not seen in them before.”
The Pantaloons have picked up plenty of loyal followers and a lot of critical acclaim and have quickly become one of the country’s most prolific touring companies .
Pack your picnic and take a turn around the garden with The Pantaloons for this beautifully hilarious and delightfully innovative new adaptation that the whole family will ardently admire and love.
Full tour dates and tickets availbale at: https://thepantaloons.co.uk/pride-and-prejudice/
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