The last word one would ever expect to find in a Jane Austen novel is the F word. Which could be why its liberal use in this ingeniously irreverent stage version of her most famous book, adapted so brilliantly by Isobel McArthur, manages to provoke tidal waves of laughter every single time it is deployed.
Some say swearing is not big or clever which is absolute rubbish when it is used with great intelligence and exceptional comic timing.
And that is precisely what we get here in the latest touring production of an understandably popular show in Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) which has now arrived at the Lowry at Salford Quays.
More recent influences on the style of McArthur’s superb interpretation range from The Play That Goes Wrong to Six The Musical.
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Although here none of the songs are originals and range from Elvis Costello to Carole King to Candi Staton but also includes the most hysterically funny use of Chris De Burgh’s The Lady in Red imaginable that almost makes the song bearable (almost!).
This show is so completely wonderful and unadulterated fun that it is difficult to resist doing nothing more than listing one superlative after another. All would be deserved for a production that wins the hearts of the audience from the moment the cast members mingle with the crowd, cleaning up and dusting before the action even gets under way.
This is all part of the clever framing device used by McArthur by having the story effectively narrated by five female servants who set the scene and then transform delightfully into members of the Bennett family before later taking on male characters such as Darcy, Bingley and Wickham (but not Mr Bennett who manages to somehow steal scenes without being portrayed by anything more substantial than an armchair, a newspaper and a puff of smoke!).
But as good as McArthur’s writing is, the secret to the success of this show lies in its casting and this current tour has a quintet of performers you will remember for a long time to come.
The five cast members are Emma Rose Creaner, Eleanor Kane, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Low and Christine Steel. Every one of them is note perfect and word perfect and it is their sheer energy, enthusiasm and ingenuity which makes this a production to treasure.
The chemistry, timing and team work of all five of them together is breathtaking to behold and it is this which secures the undying affection of the audience from start to finish.
Perhaps most astonishing of all, though, is the fact that even the most fervent and passionate Jane Austen fan is bound to fall in love with what happens on stage every bit as helplessly as someone completely unfamiliar with her work because despite all the liberties taken, it actually remains remarkably faithful to the original story.
If one had to find a single word to sum up the appeal of this enterprise - no, it would not be the F word, it would be the J word. Sheer unqualified joy!
Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of) can be seen at The Lowry until Saturday, March 22.
