Tweaks to Austen tale in a fresh adaptation

Photo: Johan Persson

ANTONY Bunsee as Admiral Croft and Lara Rossi as Anne in Persuasion at the Royal Exchange.

PERSUASION

Royal Exchange Theatre

to June 24

ADAPTERS Jeff James and James Yeatman show with this contemporary reworking of Austen's much-loved novel that you don't have to give masterpieces any great respect or sympathy.

Reducing its pages to an hour and 40 minutes means quite a few corners are cut and assumptions made. Fans of the novel will understand what is going on from the start, though others might be confused - especially as some of the actors double up and it isn't always immediately clear who's who.

The basic plot is, of course, as with the novel: Anne Elliot fancies sea captain Frederick Wentworth, though when we first see everyone together his attentions lay elsewhere, with attractive Louisa Musgrove.

Attraction

Years pass, many changes in everyone's lives occur, and Anne, getting older, is pressed to marry William Elliot, heir to her childhood home, but harbours her attraction to Wentworth even after almost a decade has past.

Minor issues arise: I'm not entirely sure that in the book the Elliots' live-in friend Penelope Clay (Caroline Moroney) ever displays too great a fondness, if you know what I mean, for eldest Elliot daughter Elizabeth (Cassie Layton).

Likewise I must have missed the bit where we find out that Anne ­- a direct, attractive and sympathetic Lara Rossi ­- didn't just have some sort of unrequited love for Wentworth (Samuel Edward-Cook) in the past, but was actually engaged to him and was persuaded out of marriage by family friend Lady Russell (Geraldine Alexander).

But frankly the story in this Persuasion is what it is: that it diverges here and there from the book isn't the point.

Modern
Director Jeff James is more interested in telling a fast-moving tale on an interesting set that consists of a bright yellow carpet everywhere, two huge white raised blocks ­- the shape of a double-decker ice-cream sandwich ­- on which all the action takes place (and the halves of which cleverly swing round to offer different playing surfaces).

There's a disco foam machine for the waves at Lyme Regis; a mix of high-style and basic clothing and a breezy, direct performance style, complete with modern beat music, high-energy lighting and a clean, modern look throughout.

It's fresh and engaging: just don't think too much about Jane Austen and you'll have a blast.