Stephenson Ardern-Sodje appears in the world premiere of the new musical Austenland, which is set to take place at the Savoy Theatre with two concert performances on March 24, 2025. Based on Shannon Hale’s novel, the musical features a stellar cast including Lucie Jones, Laura Baldwin, and Oli Higginson.
Stephenson Ardern-Sodje, who plays Captain East, shares his thoughts on the upcoming performances and what audiences can expect from this exciting new production, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle.
Performances are scheduled for 3pm and 7:30pm on March 24, 2025. Tickets are available at ATG Tickets.
You’re appearing in Austenland at the Savoy Theatre; what can you tell us about the show?
The show follows Jane Hayes, a lifelong Jane Austen fan, and hopeless romantic, as she books a stay at an ‘Immersive Regency Experience’ in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy, but she soon discovers that love in the 18th century is every bit as elusive as it can be in the 21st! Our show is witty, wild and full of gorgeous vocals and gorgeous people: Think Bridgerton meets Magic Mike!
Austenland is based on Shannon Hale’s novel. How does the musical adaptation differ from the book?
Well, the biggest difference is probably all the singing and dancing! But also, while the novel is a noughties classic, the musical version of Austenland has been fully updated for 2025. Jane Hayes has a lot more agency and snark, and we’ve also made Austenland more inclusive throughout in many ways, including a show stopping number that flips the script on the lack of LGBT inclusion in the Regency Era.
Can you share some insights into your character, Captain East, and what drew you to this role?
Captain East is one of the suitors Jane encounters at Austenland. He’s impulsive, passionate, and very over the top! I was first drawn to the piece because of how much unbridled fun it is, and for Kate and Elyssa’s incredible score, which is packed with tunes for the pop girlies. Captain East has a power ballad that I knew I had to sing as soon as I heard it!
The cast includes several well-known names from the theatre world. How has the dynamic been working with such a talented ensemble?
When I got the cast list I was kind of gobsmacked, I’ve been blown away by so many of the cast in amazing West End performances before, so to be working alongside them is as dreamy as it is daunting! But everyone’s genuinely lovely, which quickly takes the edge off, and everyone’s also genuinely very talented, which means that I’ve had to really bring my A-game!
What has been the most challenging aspect of preparing for these concert performances?
The timeframe! Whether you’re staging a full musical or a concert, or anything in between, you’re always racing against time, and the ambition of our brilliant creative team means that Austenland is going to feel much closer to a full show than your standard ‘scripts in hand, stand and sing’ production. We’re dancing, singing, acting, and quick-changing for our lives, so every second counts. But we’re having a great time doing it, which makes the chaos much more manageable.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Austenland?
Do it! If you’re looking for something silly, sexy, subversive, hilarious, and heartwarming all at the same time, then this is the show for you. We’ve got Jane Austen quotations for the literary buffs, and shirtless Mr. Darcy’s for everyone else – What more could you ask for?!
