Pride and Prejudice - and murder!

REVIEW: 'Death Comes to Pemberley' at New Theatre, Cardiff

Costume drama and whodunnit combine in Death Comes to Pemberley, an engaging new production, which opened at the New Theatre last night (Tuesday 29 July).

The play is adapted from PD James' novel of the same name, which serves as a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - with the added element of a murder mystery!

The story takes place six years after Elizabeth Bennet (Jamie-Rose Duke) and Fitzwilliam Darcy’s (James Bye) wedding, when - on the eve of the famous Pemberley ball - there's a brutal murder in the woods on the estate.

Suspicion falls on the notorious George Wickham (Sam Woodhams), but as the magistrate's (Todd Boyce) investigation unfolds, dark secrets emerge, tensions rise, and loyalties are tested, casting doubt on everyone’s innocence. 

It's an accomplished and entertaining production, which not only looks beautiful (kudos to Natalie Titchener for costumes and hair and to Sean Cavanagh for the set), it's a genuinely intriguing whodunnit too.  

Adapted by Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Jonathan O'Boyle, the talented cast also includes Celia Cruwys-Finnigan, Sean Rigby, David Osmond, Mogali Masuku, Sarah Berger, Paul Jerricho, and Louise Faulkner.

Several of the actors play multiple roles, and Celia Cruwys-Finnigan (as Georgiana Darcy) and David Osmond (as Henry Alveston) prove themselves accomplished musicians - accompanying much of the action by playing the piano live on stage.

If the first act is a little slow, the play picks up the pace after the interval and carries us swiftly to a dramatic (and, to me, totally unexpected, if not entirely convincing) denouement.

If you are a fan of Jane Austen or of mystery thrillers, there's something for you here. And if you enjoy both, then this really is the perfect night out for you.

Death Comes to Pemberley continues at the New Theatre until Saturday (2 August). You can find out more and order tickets online here or from the box office on 0343 310 0041.

Review by Andy Weltch

Photos by Pamela Raith

We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review