The idiom proclaims that all is fair in love and war, and the Manama Theatre Club’s (MTC) performance of Pride and Prejudice proves the point with both wit and wonder.
The two-and-a-half-hour show (including intermission) premiered on Tuesday and has two more performances set for tomorrow and Saturday. While there may be few in the English-speaking world unfamiliar with the plot of Jane Austen’s most popular tale, for the uninitiated, the play revolves around three sisters – Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia Bennet – whose mother is intent on marrying them off.
Gail Knappett has superbly directed the show, based on the stage adaption of the story by Helen Jerome.
Although there was initial trepidation about how well a modern audience might be able to relate to a storyline centred on the British 19th century idea of marriage, the cast quickly allayed this with funny and poignant performances.
The traditional idea that marriage happens due to economic compatibility and more practical reasons than just love continues to be relevant in many parts of the world.
Daho Abidat and Hannah Turner star as Mr and Mrs Bennet, the sisters’ parents, and Olivia Prince-Smith, Maryam Rashed Almoosa and Khadija Mercer take on the roles of Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia.
Amongst those who have caught the fancy of Mrs Bennett and her daughters, the potential bridegrooms are Mr Darcy (Christopher Cheval), Charles Bingley (Ebrahim Mohammed), Mr Collins (Ghassan Chemali) and Mr Wickham (Mustafa ‘Reign’ Ilahi).
The play begins with Mr Bingley moving next door to the country-dwelling Bennets, who are eager to find ‘suitable’ and well-off matches for their three beautiful daughters.
Mr Bingley pays a visit with his prejudiced friend Mr Darcy, and while the former is an instant hit, capturing the heart of Jane, the latter is scorned for his disparaging comments about the locals.
Of course, no love story is complete without the peanut gallery, which includes Mr Bingley’s sister Caroline (Alicia Ramirez Borbon), Mr Darcy’s aunt Lady Catherine (Amy McGavin) and the ever-practical Charlotte Lucas (Paige Leresche).
Ms Knappett chose a simple stage set-up and it was difficult to envision this working with a story taking place in so many different living rooms. However, the crew managed to pull it off by just having two sofas and a fireplace permanently on stage, with artfully arranged paintings of the families that stay in each house.
With these quick simple changes, the audience appreciates the social protocols and hierarchies underpinning each scene.
Eagle-eyed audience members will also be entertained by the photo-shopped paintings featuring the faces of the actors.
Pride and Prejudice is a conversation-driven story, where subtle sarcasm and verbal barbs tell as much about the character as their words.
The performers, especially those playing Mrs Bennet, Miss Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliams (Hamdi Gabani) do an astounding job of embodying this with a wonderful array of scene-stealing moments.
Although Mr Cheval played the haughty aspect of Mr Darcy’s personality perfectly, it was difficult to appreciate the side of him that Elizabeth comes to fall in love with, but his humanity in the second and third acts was quite palpable.
It was clear to see that there are no small performances here, as every actor committed to their role, whether it was the humble butler Mr Hill (Mike Eddison), the sisters’ aunt Mrs Gardiner (Dhanise Angela), Lady Lucas (Anne Kooheji) or aforementioned cast members.
Although with 35 crew and cast members trying to work in perfect harmony, there are bound to be challenges, like some lighting and blocking issues, what remains wonderful about the MTC, through its 40-plus-year history, is to see the growth and camaraderie within each performance.
And just to bear witness to that and enjoy a timeless tale of love, marriage, propriety and impropriety, this show is a must watch!
H Two more performances are set for tomorrow and Saturday at the British Club’s Queen Elizabeth II Theatre. The show starts at 7.30pm with doors opening at 7pm. Tickets are on sale for BD8.500 and non-members of the British Club will have to pay an additional BD 1.500 at the door.
– Naman Arora
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