By Karen Morley
WHEN you hear the name Jane Austen your mind automatically thinks costume drama – but at Theatre by the Lake they have brought an energy and life into their production of Northanger Abbey by the 18th Century author that makes it as relevant as a modern day drama serial.
Through the excellent casting and direction, this production captures the never changing essence of teenage girls – their hopes and desires.
Take away the stunning costumes, and you have before you the same high pitched, excited talk of clothes, boys and books which I hear every day when my daughter’s friends call around.
The word teenage may be a modern, 20th Century phrase, but this 18th Century Gothic drama captures the young women perfectly.
If you were forced to study Jane Austen for O or A-level (as my husband was) this production is the antidote to stuffy, classroom study of a great novel. It rekindles a passion for Austen.
As audiences at this Keswick theatre have grown to expect, director Ian Forrest sets the pace of the action at a perfect rhythm.
The scenes flow beautifully together, as the simple but effective set takes you from party-to-party and from ballroom to sinister Gothic ruin.
The lyrical language of Austen dances on the ear – the adaptation by Tim Luscombe making the most of the author’s original text.
Northanger Abbey is a great night at the theatre, and you don’t have to be an Austen fan to enjoy every line.
Northanger Abbey runs until November 5.
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