Join the critically acclaimed Pantaloons theatre company as they celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Anniversary with their 2025 touring production of Sense and Sensibility.
Elinor Dashwood has a lot of good Sense. Her sister Marianne Dashwood has an excess of Sensibility. Together they make a snappy title for Jane Austen’s classic novel of scandals, scoundrels and severely sprained ankles.
This funny, fast-paced and faithful new adaptation of the literary masterpiece features live music, audience interaction, romance and heartbreak.
The Pantaloons are known for their anarchic retellings of classic works of literature having previously put a hilarious spin on The War of the Worlds, The Odyssey, Gulliver’s Travels, Sherlock Holmes, The Canterbury Tales, Grimm Fairy Tales, Bleak House and many of Shakespeare’s plays.
“We are known for being somewhat silly,” says writer and director Mark Hayward. “But with our Sense and Sensibility 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 over ten 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 – and even they’re not entirely sure how and when that happened.
“We seem to have even slipped under our own radar,” says Hayward.
So, grab the whole family, pack a picnic and join The Pantaloons for this beautifully hilarious and delightfully innovative new adaptation.
For tour details please visit https://thepantaloons.co.uk/sense