Persuasion at Rose Theatre

Bringing Jane Austen into the modern day is a tricky business. The dialogue and characters now seem archaic, and so the decision has to be taken whether or not to change them. Persuasion at the Rose Theatre in Kingston modernises everything in the story except the dialogue and characters, with a surprisingly fun result. 

The story is about Anne Elliot, a young Englishwoman whose family move out of their ancestral home to Bath in order to save money. One of the new tenants of their home is Wentworth, a navy man whom Anne scorned ten years ago, and the two of them reunite in a series of hilarious romantic encounters. 

It’s a classic story and the show moves through it at lightning speed. It becomes clear that there is a lot of plot to cover, which can make it seem a little breathless at times. This improves in the second act, however, as the action slows to a climactic sequence that highlights the best aspects of the production.

This includes the way in which it juxtaposes the old with the new. By combining traditional Austen dialogue with contemporary costumes and production design, the play manages to both respect the source material and entertain a modern audience. It results in comical dance sequences and musical moments that give it a certain burlesque feel, along with clever use of limited staging that transports the actions from locale to locale.

It evokes the work of Baz Luhrmann with its frenetic energy and neon-drenched design but also falls prey to some of the issues that plague his works too. At times it can feel a bit lacklustre, with some scenes or characters leaving little to no impression and there are a few moments where the direction feels a bit aimless. There’s a lot of movement, which is a nice way to give traditionally static scenes some life, but it did seem that sometimes there wasn’t much point to it. 

All in all, it’s a fun time, and if you’re looking for an entertaining adaptation of a classic story with some modern flair, this is a good bet.

Joe Milo

Persuasion is at Rose Theatre from 26^th February until 19^th March 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.