Two actors fall out and then must stage Jane Austen’s classic novel entirely on their own, in a hilarious, slapstick adaptation.Rating
Good
Nonsense and Sensibility begins with two actors, Samantha and Bartholomew, mid argument shortly before they head onstage to perform their roles in an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Just as their personal and professional relationship hits its nadir, they discover that the rest of the cast have walked out and now the two of them must perform all the roles, unrehearsed.
This premise is ideal for farce and slapstick and the opening is hilarious, as the argument from the dressing room spills out onto the stage .Great comedic set pieces ensue involving the actors fighting over scripts, missing cues and attempting to upstage each other; all while trying to preserve a veneer of professionalism. An early scene, set on a stagecoach, with both performers attempting to sabotage each other, is especially funny, with the intimate setting of the Etcetera Theatre and sparse staging additionally making the humour much more intense.
Madeline Pell and Gareth Balai are both strong performers, with Pell particularly good as Samantha, playing the lead role of Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility and having the most dramatic moments. The humour rivals that of The Play That Goes Wrong, and succeeds with a more minimalist approach.
It is very amusing to watch the actors switch between roles, tackling scenes with multiple characters when there is just the two of them, and they convincingly improvise their way through unfamiliar scenes. Subtle variations in costume are used well to show the different characters, and the timely dimming of light indicates not only the changes between scenes but also creates a sense of progressing through the narrative of the novel, despite it being abridged for the short run time of a fringe production.
As the show progresses, the jokes become more intermittent and the slapstick comedy disappears. I became absorbed in the plot of Jane Austen’s writing, lost in the play within a play, and able to suspend my disbelief as I focussed on the story of the novel, engrossed in Austen’s romance tale. It is a testament to the magic of theatre that I was able to so fully engage with the essence of the story being presented in dramatic form.
The action builds to a satisfying climax, but does not fully settle the character conflict. With a short 45 minutes run time, there is enough scope and unresolved tension for the show to be longer. These two characters are set in motion by the events of the performance, but I wanted to see how they might grow and arrive at a new equilibrium. The play does subtly use the ending of Sense and Sensibility to indicate a resolution for them, but I was left wanting a resolution entirely specific to Samantha and Bartholomew, not just that which Austen gives her characters.
Nonsense and Sensibility is very funny, especially in its earlier, more slapstick scenes. It is an unusual and entertaining new take on a classic novel with strong performances, and its minimalist approach creates engrossing theatre.
Writer: Sophie Pell
Director: Nick Delvallé
Lighting and sound technician: Isabel Melim
Nonsense and Sensibility plays at Etcetera Theatre until Thursday 21 May.
