Preview: Pride and Prejudice at Newcastle Theatre Royal

LOVE IS IN THE AIR AS JANE AUSTEN’S ULTIMATE ROMANTIC COMEDY OPENS AT NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL ON VALENTINE’S DAY

Pride and Prejudice

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 14^th  – Saturday 18^th February 2017

As the Bennet sisters haplessly search for love it is Mr. Darcy who unwittingly finds his match when the acclaimed production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice returns to the Theatre Royal Tuesday 14^th  – Saturday 18^th February 2017.

Photo Johan Persson

The cast will feature Matthew Kelly as Mr. Bennet, Felicity Montagu as Mrs. Bennet, Tafline Steen as Elizabeth Bennet, Benjamin Dilloway as Mr. Darcy and Doña Croll as Lady Catherine De Bourgh.

Matthew Kelly has appeared several times in the West End, as the original Stanley in Funny Peculiar, in Waiting For Godotwith Ian McKellen and Roger Rees, Tim Firth’s play Sign of the Times, the musical Lend Me A Tenor! and as Lennie in the Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s production of Of Mice and Men at the Savoy Theatre where his performance won him the Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Photo Johan Persson

His other most recent theatre credits include The Jew of Malta, Volpone and Love’s Sacrificefor the RSC, Toast (Park Theatre/59E59, New York), Twelfth Night (Liverpool Everyman) and The History Boys (Crucible, Sheffield). Television work includes the award-winning thriller Cold Blood, Benidorm and Bleak House - although he is perhaps still best known for presenting ITV’s You Bet! and Stars in their Eyes.

Photo Johan Persson

Felicity Montagu – best known for playing long-suffering PA Lynn in the TV series I’m Alan Partridge and the 2013 film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa ­– is to play Mrs. Bennet who, alongside her husband, sees the perfect opportunity to improve her family’s social standing when the wealthy Mr. Bingley and his eligible friend Mr. Darcy move to the neighbourhood.  But while Bingley takes an immediate liking to their eldest daughter Jane, the dismissive Darcy instantly clashes with the Bennet’s headstrong second daughter, Elizabeth.

Photo Johan Persson

Most recently seen playing Mrs. Mainwaring in the 2016 film remake of Dad’s Army, Felicity’s other notable roles include Perpetua in Bridget Jones's Diary, Caroline Bosman in ITV’s Doc Martin and Sue 2 in BBC’s Nighty Night.  Other film credits include I Want Candy and Confetti, and other television credits include The Durrells (ITV), Mapp and Lucia (BBC), and three series of Hank Zipzer (CBBC).  On stage, Felicity has starred in Quartermaine’s Terms alongside Rowan Atkinson (Wyndham’s Theatre), The Shaughraun(National Theatre) and Angels in America (National Theatre).

Photo Johan Persson

Tafline Steen made her professional debut as Jess in King Charles III at the Almeida Theatre, before reprising her role in the West End and on Broadway and Benjamin Dilloway has appeared on screen in Kingsman: The Secret Service, New Blood (BBC) and Silk (BBC), with stage work including Of Mice and Men(Birmingham Rep) and King Lear (Almeida Theatre). Doña Croll is best known for her screen roles as Vera Corrigan in Doctors (BBC) and Pearl McHugh in Family Affairs(Channel 5), with theatre credits including All My Sons (Birmingham Rep), Heresy of Love (Royal Shakespeare Company) and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Photo Johan Persson

Celebrating the legacy of Jane Austen in the bicentennial year of her death, Regent’s Park Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Pride and Prejudice, one of the most universally loved and quintessentially English novels of all time, marks the return of Regent’s Park Theatre to Newcastle Theatre Royal following their smash hit productions of To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies.

First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in English literature, selling over 20 million copies and spawning numerous adaptations, most notably the 1940 film starring Laurence Olivier and the 1995 BBC adaptation starring Colin Firth. 

Tickets:

Pride and Prejudice is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tue 14 until Sat 18 February 2017, playing evenings at 7.30pm, matinees on Wed and Thu 2pm and Sat 2.30pm. Tickets from £14.50 and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21.  Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk