Miriam Balanescu speaks to Isobel McArthur, co-director, creator and actor in the riotous regency era romp, Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of)
In an already swamped landscape of adaptations of Jane Austen’s ubiquitous novel Pride and Prejudice, adding something new to the mix is no mean feat. And yet, Isobel McArthur’s Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is unlike any Austen adaptation that has come before – an all-female, all-singing, all-dancing take.
The Laurence Olivier award-winner came into being when Andy Arnold, artistic director of the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, announced in 2018 that he was looking for an adaptation of a canonical tome. Isobel immediately headed to the snug second-hand bookshop above her flat and piled up a stack of 50p paperbacks.
“My degree was in Scottish literature, so Jane Austen wasn’t on the agenda or an author I was familiar with, other than all that pop-cultural baggage that comes with her notoriety,” says Isobel. “But I sat down and started reading Pride and Prejudice. I had all kinds of expectations and predilections. I was so surprised when, on page one, I was laughing my head off.
“I watched the Bollywood, zombie, Laurence Olivier and the BBC 90s versions, because I felt like I needed to know what this echo of an echo chain was that I was contributing to,” continues Isobel.
Reclaiming the story from a female, working-class perspective, Isobel started with turning this comedy of manners into a more accessible tale, told from the perspective of four downstairs servants. All roles – including Mr Darcy – are acted by the small, female cast, necessitating swift costume changes. “I wanted to make Austen for Glaswegian audiences in the first instance,” recalls Isobel. “Therefore, that was probably going to be people who, like me, thought this stuff was very ‘English’, possibly about crumby-voiced dukes in drawing rooms thinking they’re having a tough time of it when there are real people in the world who are being overlooked and undervalued.
To continue reading this article, head to the full version here.
