Pride and Prejudice (Primary Stages) NYC Reviews and Tickets

81%

(178 Reviews)

Positive

85%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Clever, Funny, Entertaining, Delightful, Great acting

About the Show

Primary Stages and Hudson Valley Shakespeare present a new stage incarnation of Jane Austen's classic novel, adapted by and starring Kate Hamill ('Vanity Fair,' 'Sense and Sensibility').

The outspoken Elizabeth Bennet faces mounting pressure from her status-conscious mother to secure a suitable marriage. But is marriage suitable for a woman of Elizabeth’s intelligence and independence? Especially when the irritating, aloof, self-involved, tall, vaguely handsome, mildly amusing, and impossibly aristocratic Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn! Literature’s greatest tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical.

Member Reviews (178)

Clever, Delightful, Hilarious, Refreshing, Ambitious

See it if you love the satire and sly fun in Jane Austen's classic novel. Imaginative staging, delightful singing, great silliness.

Don't see it if you are hooked on the romances. They are the plot but not the purpose of this production.

Great acting, Clever, Hilarious, Great staging, Intelligent

See it if you're a fan of the Bennett sisters, enjoy the playwright's past work, want an evening full of honest & genuine laughs

Don't see it if Jane Austen is not your thing, you feel a humorous adaptation dishonors Austen, actors playing multiple roles and lack of scenery disturbs

Entertaining, Disappointing, Indulgent, Relevant, Clever

See it if While keeping much of Austin's delicious comedy of manners, Hamill's adapt too often gets caught up in silly, pop culture mannerisms & bores

Don't see it if Suprisingly, male cast comes off better than females. Hamill is too often one note & too broad but both Tufts & Bedard outrageously funny

Clever, Funny, Great acting, Quirky, Romantic

See it if you’re a fan of Jane Austen, or shows in the vein of RTC’s The Robber Bridegroom, Fiasco’s Into the Woods, or Soulpepper’s Of Human Bondage.

Don't see it if you don’t like genre mashups. This integrates certain modern elements into the classic world of Jane Austen. Read more

Over-the-top, Funny, Dizzying, Entertaining, Overrated

See it if you enjoy the overuse of mugging and screaming in a play. You want to see Jason O'Connell keep getting better and better as an actor.

Don't see it if you are a traditionalist. The play misses most of the flavor of Austen's novel. Read more

Entertaining, Funny, Indulgent, Ambitious, Frenetic

See it if want to see a creative irreverent adaptation of a Jane Austen novel

Don't see it if you loved Kate Hamill's version of Sense & Sensibility and are expecting something of that quality again. Read more

Clever, Great acting, Romantic, Refreshing, Quirky

See it if You like a different take on Austen’s classics, and know Kate Hamill’s work. Actors play multiple characters, adding to the hilarity.

Don't see it if You expect the typical British drawing room version of an Austen novel. Do not like pratfalls or silliness. Read more

Delightful, Hilarious, Quirky, Riveting, Ambitious

See it if You just want to have fun with a quirky take on a classic.

Don't see it if You need your classic super true to form and don't like farce and going with the FUN vs the cut and dry dialogue Read more

Critic Reviews (23)

"It hasn’t met a rib it can’t tickle. But the silliness masks a cynicism that blunts some of the fun...If the performances are sometimes too exaggerated, they are always spirited...I don’t mind the anachronisms in language or music and I’ll go to the mat for Ms. Hamill’s un-Georgian mischief. And yet, this 'Pride and Prejudice' misses the heart and real radicalism of its source. Maybe it even misses the point."
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"There is a pleasing simplicity to her adaptation...But in Primary Stages’ frisky production, comedic bits overwhelm character. Dehnert lets the playful antics descend into uncontrolled theatrics...The most effective moments are the ones with the most heart. O’Connell’s awkwardness is endearing, and Thorn delivers touching turns as both the mild Bennet patriarch and Lizzy’s practical friend Charlotte. Like Austen, they recognize the humor that can be found in restraint."
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"Hamill’s 'Pride and Prejudice' has fun and charm to spare, but it ultimately feels like it’s grafting an idea onto Austen’s text...Though this 'Pride and Prejudice' is full of high spirits and genuine mirth, Hamill’s additions to Austen feel, well, like additions. The games and bells become bells and whistles...When it embraces Austen’s inherent genius and humor, the production starts to shine...In its persistent additions to its source, it only intermittently accesses the power of what’s already there."
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“The ever-ingenious Ms. Hamill has given us something completely and delightfully different, a smallish-cast period-dress ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that she’s done over in the revved-up manner of a Hollywood screwball comedy…Such a show demands worthy staging, and Amanda Dehnert…delivers the goods with gusto…In addition to having written the script, Ms. Hamill plays Lizzy Bennet with winning impishness…The kind of show that would flourish in a small Broadway house.”
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"A laugh-out-loud adaptation...Isn't super accurate, as far as the novel is concerned anyway...The play itself features cross-dressing actors and more anachronisms than a Mel Brooks movie...While some of these jokey interludes are hit-and-miss, the antics mostly work because Dehnert and Hamill commit to the anachronistic tomfoolery throughout the show. But it's the actors, with their onstage playfulness who make the production a joy to watch."
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"The case for this sort of fooling around is that a classic is supposedly being given new life, making it accessible to modern audiences...It might help if these bits of business were executed with more precision, but there is far too much mugging, shouting, and running around, all of which proves wearying...Must it be so blatant, so juvenile? Couldn't a little Austen-style sophistication sneak into the proceedings?"
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“While this is not a Bedlam production as was Hamill's hugely successful stage version of Austen's second published novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ director Amanda Dehnert has staged the play in their inimitable style for this co-production of Primary Stages and Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and has created a clever 19th century entertainment with a decidedly 21st century sensibility. The versatile Hamill has also given herself the plum role of Elizabeth Bennet, here known as Lizzy.”
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"Purists need be forewarned that the gifted and talented Hamill has eloped just a bit recklessly with the irony, wit, and insightfulness of the novel's matrimonial considerations...This version, nevertheless, remains commendably faithful to Austin's plot yet with an almost giddy disposition towards parody...Matchmaking a la Austin in the Georgian manner has rarely been afforded so much giddy fun and funny games."
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