One primarily for the Jane Austen followers

Theatre / “Sense and Sensibility,” written by Kate Hamill, from the novel by Jane Austen; directed by Cate Clelland. At Canberra Rep Theatre, Acton, till December 3. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

JANE Austen’s first novel, printed in 1811, turns into the idea of a 2014 play adaptation by New Yorker Kate Hamill. Following the fortunes of the Dashwood sisters shortly after their father’s loss of life leaves them in a precarious monetary state of affairs, the play is a comedy of manners because the sisters discover their means by means of romance to happiness because the gossips look on, able to criticise their each transfer.

Other than the sisters, Elinor and Marianne, the big forged play the ever-present gossips when they don’t seem to be playing the various minor characters.

The sisters themselves are very completely different personalities, the sense and sensibility of the title. Marianne, performed by Annabelle Segler, is excitable and impulsive, whereas Elinor, performed by Karina Hudson, is the extra wise and logical of the pair.

The play is cinematic with a lot of small scenes. The motion strikes forwards and backwards between numerous homes, each lived in and visited. In director, Cate Clelland’s manufacturing, the motion turns into claustrophobic with the sister’s continuously conscious that they’ve little privateness and that everyone seems to be watching and ready for them to slide up. Repute in this society is every little thing.

Karina Hudson provides a positive efficiency because the wise Elinor. Segler has the tough function of the excitable sister, Marianne and handles it principally very properly. Some extra mild and shade in her portrayal would have made her much less irritating.

Ros Engledow captures the sense of interval very properly as Mrs Bennett, whose home is visited by the sisters. John Whinfield as Edward Ferrars and Sean Reeve as Colonel Brandon, the meant love pursuits, are usually not very attention-grabbing characters however the actors do the most effective they will with them. The remainder of the big forged give uneven performances.

The frequent adjustments of locale and the shifting of furnishings to set every scene shortly grew to become tiresome despite the fact that it was choreographed very properly. It was simply taking place too usually. The forged enjoying the gossips, positioned within the background of each scene, whereas dramatically legitimate, had been usually distracting.

General, the play works in its depiction of the society and the manners of the time. There are amusing moments and it’s costumed very properly by Anna Senior and her group.

Should you’re a Jane Austen fan, you’ll have time with this.