Sense and Sensibility
Adapted from Jane Austen by Nicky Diss who also directs
Thick as Thieves
Arches Lane Theatre
Star rating: 4
This is the fourth adaptation of a nineteenth century novel I’ve seen in a week: Jane Eyre at Southwark Playhouse, A Tale of Two Cities at Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Crime and Punishment at Jack Studio, Brockley and now this. It must be something in the water giving everyone the same idea.
I’ve always found Sense and Sensibility (1811 but set in the 1790s) the least penetrable of Austen’s six novels partly because the plot is so convoluted. The five actors in this company, however, work their socks off to make the story telling as clear as it can be. There are several companies making a specialism of big stories and small casts, often for open air venues, and I have to say, Thick as Thieves, founded by Nickt Diss and Thomas Judd in 2015 are as good as any of them. The secret is first, to be as slick as if it were an old-fashioned farce with rapid costume and character changes and second, to think outside the box. Here we have, for example paintings taken off the walls and used as puppets, actors speaking off stage presumably at the same time as he or she is leaping into a different frock or jacket and audience members roped in as extras. It takes great skill to keep the pace going and the narrative wheels turning.
The story tells of three sisters who with their mother, are thrown into poverty because their parsimonious half-brother has inherited their father’s money. And, of course, this is Jane Austen so there will be expedient love-based marriages at the end of a path strewn with cads, lies, misunderstandings, silly irritating women and at least one dishy man riding to the rescue.
All five of these actors delight. Laura Cooper-Jones is good at poor Marianne’s histrionics, sings well at the “piano” and does a wonderful turn as ancient Mrs Ferrars who has apparently had a stroke. Grace Kelly Miller as Elinor is sensitive (she talks with her face) and gloriously gruff as Sir John Middleton – voice adjusted accordingly. There are several fine performances from Thomas Judd who plays various make roles and does a splendid marriage-obsessed Mrs Jennings, clad in pink silk. Laura Smithers is totally convincing as Fanny especially in that famous scene when she manipulates her husband into denying his sisters any money. Her Mrs Price – pregnant and full of irrepressible laughter is good too and she’s fun as the youngest sister, Margaret who is still a child,
Best and most versatile of all, though is Kaysha Wollery. As widowed Mrs Dashwood she is initially weepy but usually stoical and sometimes angry. As Colonel Brandon – ultimately the good guy – she finds poise and dignity and in other small roles she commands the stage. She is an actor who can turn herself into someone else instantly, simply by changing her voice. Bravo.
It’s quite a clever idea to use all the actors as occasional narrators, usually wearing their base costume of white shirt and fawn trousers. Nicky Diss’s adaptation uses a great deal of Austen’s original text which is respectful and commendable but at times it feels a bit too weighty and wordy for a Saturday afternoon at Battersea Power Station. On the other hand there is a jolly scene-setting five part song at the beginning, and another at the end of act one – with very un-Austenian lyrics so that’s quite fun, David Knight’s music gives a lot of low level in-period music and a dance tune for the ball room scene all of which works pleasingly.
