The works of Jane Austen seem to be fertile ground for endless adaptations, and another reworking is on offer at Kingston’s Rose Theatre in the form of Emma. Penned by Ava Pickett and directed by Christopher Haydon, this latest spin on the classic swaps Regency grandeur for spray tans and vapes in modern-day Essex.
Literally bursting out of period costume in the opening scene, our revamped Emma is a cocky and clever 21-year-old Oxford graduate. Except that she isn’t: after going AWOL on her exams she’s just discovered she’s failed her degree. Slinking back to the Essex town of Highbury that she thought she’d well and truly outgrown, she reconnects with old school pals while getting swept up in the frenzy of her sister’s wedding. Between dishing out haughty and less-than-welcome advice to both her family and her put-upon bestie Harriet, she barely has time to question what deeper feelings might be underpinning her rivalry with the smouldering George Knightley.
Austen’s witty and warm-hearted oeuvre has long been acknowledged as the natural precursor to the modern rom-com, and Pickett embraces this with gusto. If you’re a fan of Bridget Jones or Love, Actually you’ll probably find a lot to like in Emma, because all the tropes are here. The quirky best friend, the climactic wedding, the romantic bust-ups caused by (slightly unlikely) crossed wires. There’s even the charming and broody male lead, played by standout Kit Young, who rather gratuitously gets undressed mid-way through the first act (and who’s complaining?)
Pickett gets plenty of laughs out of all of this, and there are some decent comedy bits. Though the humour is all incredibly broad – the Essex jokes (and accents) are laid on thick, and pratfalls (and even the odd cat fight) abound.
There’s also a little left to be desired when it comes to the character development of Emma. So much of the story focuses on how poorly she treats her neighbours (especially across the lengthy first act) that we’re left wondering why we should be rooting for her at all. What little growth she has comes too little, too late in the play’s dying moments. Similarly, her attraction to George feels underdeveloped. The immediate enmity the two have for each other suggests a history that is never really explored, and there aren’t enough scenes of the two of them together to really understand their spark.
Though perhaps that’s asking a little much. Because if what you want from your Emma adaptation is a few laughs, a clever and feisty heroine, and a hunky George to swoon over (and yes, he does say that line), then this is a perfectly fine play.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
