Emma

Austen Allegro

Emma

by Ava Pickett, based on the novel by Jane Austen

RTK Productions at The Rose Theatre, Kingston until 11^th October

Review by Polly Davies

The Rose Theatre’s Emma is a joy. I can think of no better antidote to the dreary, non-stop outpouring of news that we are now blessed with daily. Ava Pickettt’s fast-paced witty script shows, if there was ever any doubt, the brilliance of Jane Austen’s storytelling. A tale seemingly set intrinsically in the strictly mannered world of the 18th Century has been re-interpreted in the hands of a skilful playwright to look as if it was always intended for today’s world. And in Ava Pickett’s hands it is not only a good story, it is very, very funny. If you love Austen’s Emma, you will love this. If you have never heard of Austen’s Emma you will still love this, because the story it tells is as relevant now as it was when first written. To drop in the well known “Not well done Emma” line and make it fit amongst the modern world of TikTok messaging, and photo-sharing is pure genius.

Ok, so it is not an exact match to the original story. Sleepy Highbury has been moved to Made in Essex territory, and the fruity language would certainly have shocked its author. But the familiar characters, the essential poignancy of the tale, the development of the story and the familiar happy ending are all there. As in the original, the plot has just enough pathos intertwined with the comedy to keep it relatable.

The production is sharp. It sets and maintains its bright exuberant tone throughout the evening through to the spectacular finish. The set is both familiar family home, and stifling boundary. Christopher Haydon’s direction is flawless. The wit of the script is enhanced by multiple doorways giving flashes of farce and the beautifully performed physical comedy. This needs split-second timing by the actors to work as well as they do here., and Nigel Lindsay, Jessice Brindle and Lucy Benjamin gave a masterclass on how it should be done throughout the evening.

This modern Emma is recognisable as a young GenZ woman, proud of her feminism, well-meaning and unknowingly arrogant. She is clever, intellectually inclined and born into a family of loving and admiring relations. She shares with Austen’s original a strong belief in her own emotional sensibility and total lack of real empathy and self-awareness. Amelia Kenworthy makes Emma real, happy to be found lording it over her peers, who after all have never left Essex, while in contrast she has been to university. But her performance always hints at her own vulnerability, which comes alive in the short but telling heart-to-heart with her father.

Nigel Lindsay gives a nicely nuanced performance as Mr Woodhouse. He is a loving and thoughtful father, with a touch of the DelBoy, still mourning his late wife, but consoling himself with the help of Lucy Benjamin’s bubbly blonde Mrs. Bates, who is an unlikely but perfect analogue for the original. Her descent of the stairs on the morning of the wedding is a delight to behold. The effect of Emma’s return on their relationship is a funny but moving sub-plot, with an equal mix of emotional confusion and comedy.

Lucy Benjamin’s Isabella is a gem. Her delivery and timing are impeccable. The spot-on Essex girl, she is at times exasperated with her irritatingly superior sister, at other times a typical bride-to-be, excited and apprehensive. Kit Young brings off the transition of Mr. Knightley from wealthy avuncular friend to the constantly admiring school friend, now a successful builder. The switch from creepy vicar to Bobby Lockwood’s equally self-seeking estate agent Elton is nicely done. And Adrian Richard, Sofia Oxenham and Josh Bilyard’s performances as John Knightley, Harriet and Rob Martin leave us cheering the everyday, ordinary folk whose worth Emma so easily overlooked.

A fun evening – should be on prescription.

Polly Davies, September 2025

Photography by Marc Brenner