A MODERN AUSTEN THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

By Ruth Thompson | @ruth.thompson_ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Press Invite

I went into Emma at the Rose Theatre a little unsure how a modernised Austen would land but honestly, it was fantastic. Really funny, incredibly sharp, and updated in a way that never felt cringe. As a thirty-year-old, I found myself wincing in recognition more than once: the awkward drunken moments on uni dance floors, chronically online internet humour, the painfully accurate memory of not having a clue what to do with my life. It was all there, and the audience loved it.

The production itself was quick, witty, and a little foul mouthed. Reframed as a small town comedy, it had people in stitches from start to finish. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I laughed that much in a theatre.

Of course, Austen’s Emma is a long, winding story, and squeezing it into two and a half hours means sacrifices. A few classic characters are missing, but I found I didn’t miss them. The snappy scene-to-scene pacing did feel a little  jarring at times, like we were being hustled along through a story we all knew but that said, I actually wanted more. If anything, the show could have lingered longer, but I get that there are limits to how long you can reasonably keep an audience sitting, this isn’t a 5 hour BBC television adaptation!  The final act, Emma’s redemption felt a little rushed and not entirely earned but with a kiss that steamy between Emma and George Knightley all is forgiven.

The cast were just brilliant. Sofia Oxenham as Harriet Smith, while played over the top, was the perfect blend of bumbling and endearing. I found Emma played by Amelia Kenworthy less likeable in this adaptation, a sharp but very lost uni student who wants everyone to believe she has all the answers. She lacked the redeeming naivety of the original sheltered privileged rich girl from the original story, however she was performed with such cleverness and vulnerability that I was won over.

All in all, it was a fantastic evening. If you get the chance, go see this Emma. Whether you’re an Austen devotee or brand-new to the story, it’s a riot. My friend, who didn’t know the plot at all, came out saying it was one of the best productions he’d seen in years. I’d call that high praise and I completely agree.

Emma is running at the Rose Theatre until Saturday 11 October.

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Photo Credit: Marc Brenner