By Paul Love
Guest Reviewer
Pride and Prejudice, which Jane Austen wrote in 1813, carries the distinction of being one of the most beloved novels in English literature. Christopher Baker’s theatrical adaptation is the version of this costume drama currently being performed by the Scarborough Players.
Set in the early 19th century, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of the Bennet family, and the desperate quest of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet to marry off their four daughters because their property is restricted such that it can only pass to a male heir. The play revolves around the Bennet’s second-eldest daughter, Elizabeth, who refuses to be drawn in by the artificial notions of society, believing that people should marry for love and not for prestige or money.
Alex Saul delivers a star turn as Elizabeth, moving about the stage like a whirling dervish of energy and enthusiasm, giving us a character who is capable, intelligent, and willing to speak her mind. And when she does speak her mind, it is with an impeccable English accent. In fact, credit should be given to the entire cast for delivering great English accents that enhanced the production rather than distracting from it. Jacob Klick gives an effective performance as Mr. Darcy, the man who finds himself drawn to Elizabeth. Mr. Klick believably captures the mixture of pride and social anxiety that make up this complicated character. His volume was a bit low in some places, making it difficult to understand him, but that is no doubt a by-product of opening weekend jitters. Kayla Kempers does a great job portraying the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, and Saam Kordestani gives a good performance as the object of Jane’s affection, Mr. Bingley. Malorie Mandolidis is an absolute delight as the energetic Mrs. Bennet. Whether she’s loudly extolling the virtues of her daughters or chasing after them, Ms. Mandolidis infuses much humour and warmth into the show. Chip Thompson is perfect as Mr. Bennet, presenting his character as a caring father who is often overwhelmed by his wife’s exuberance, but who loves her all the same, and who wants his daughters to be happy as well as financially secure. Will van der Zyl gives a standout performance as the eccentric Mr. Collins. He smartly plays his character for laughs, which keeps Mr. Collins from being too uncomfortably creepy. Katie Ribout is devilishly good as Mr. Bingley’s sister, Caroline, delivering her character’s harsh words with a wonderfully stone-cold disposition. The expression of utter disdain on her face when she’s forced to dance is highly entertaining.
(L-R): Molly Keenan, Laurel Schell, Chip Thompson (seated), Malorie Mandolidis, Alex Saul, Kayla Kempers, photo by David A. Fitzpatrick
Director Katherine Turner manages to keep the pacing of the show nimble, with character movement that makes sense for the thrust stage, and infuses the dialogue with energy. Taking on the role of Set Designer for a production on a thrust stage is always a challenge—particularly when you are presenting a play that takes place in eight different locations—but Lester Ruiz has handled it like a pro. The upstage archway works perfectly as a backdrop for almost all of the locations, while the few set pieces—mostly chairs and tables, which are wonderfully ornate and perfectly suited to the time period—round out the sense of place and time. Major kudos to Mr. Ruiz or whoever it was that came up with the idea of having the name of each location appear above the set (in fancy script, no less!). This saves the audience members a lot of guesswork and potential confusion. A good costume drama needs good costumes, and Mary Nowlan and her team have done a wonderful job. The costumes are beautifully tailored and period-appropriate, with wonderful pops of colour that add to the positive energy of the whole production. It is clear, too, that Hair Designer Darlene Thomas has put the same kind of care and passion into the detailed hairstyles.
If you are in the mood for a good costume drama, look no further than the Scarborough Village Theatre and Scarborough Players’ production of Pride and Prejudice. The theatre is located at 3600 Kingston Rd. in Scarborough. Remaining performances are March 12, 13, 14, 19, and 20 at 8 pm, with additional matinee performances on March 15 and 21 at 2 pm. Tickets are available by visiting the website. The show is approximately 3 hours, including a 15-minute intermission.