I had the pleasure of seeing RMTC’s Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley to start the holiday season, and couldn’t be happier with it. The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre often has festive offerings at this time of year. In past years, we have been treated to A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol. However, Austenites are finally given their time to shine in the holidays with Christmas at Pemberley. If you are looking for a wonderful piece of holiday theatre, RMTC’s Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley is the perfect production to put you in the festive spirit!
Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley– What is it?
Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley is a holiday sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. (Not to be confused with the book Christmas at Pemberley by Regina Jeffers!) The middle Bennett sister, Miss Mary Bennett, is often ignored for her louder and more vivacious sisters. Christmas at Pemberley fixes that though, and puts the often quiet and forgotten Mary in the spotlight. If you haven’t had a chance to look up the show, here is the synopsis from RMTC:
This charming Christmas story, and imagined sequel to Pride and Prejudice, centres around the Bennets’ middle child. Though Mary has the company of her books and piano, she dreams of embarking on her own adventure. A chance meeting over the holidays with Mr. Darcy’s cousin, Arthur, sparks an attraction. A holiday favourite filled with wit and humour, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is sure to delight new audiences and Jane Austen fans alike.
Obviously, it wasn’t written by Austen herself. However, i think that playwright Lauren Gunderson has done a fantastic job of continuing the story in a similar vein while updating it slightly for modern audiences.
RMTC’s Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley Review
I must say, Christmas at Pemberley is one of my favourite RMTC productions! It is a one room play, if you will, with the whole story taking place in the drawing room/library. RMTC has done a spectacular job with the set, and it stands in perfectly for Pemberley. The play takes place over 3 days, so staying in the same place makes the most sense. The music was also quite fitting, with traditional English carols used. I enjoyed that some were used as background music, and some were actually sung by the cast members themselves! And the costumes were Regency appropriate, as any Austenite would expect. (If you would like to know more about Regency clothing, visit my post on Regency women’s clothing here and Regency men’s clothing here!) Because they have done such a fantastic job on the sets, costumes, and staging, you truly feel immersed in Regency Christmas.
I must cover the cast, of course. Ellen Denny as Mary Bennett is truly the standout of the show. The Mary of Christmas at Pemberley is quite a particular person, who believes in facts and honesty over pleasantries and whims. Denny takes what could be a stiff and unforgiving character and breathes a whole host of emotions into it. She verbally duels with her partner in Nathan Hough as Arthur de Bourgh, and handles the precocious Tess Benger as Lydia. I have to say, Hough delivers a comical de Bourgh with a deft hand, and balances well. Austen(ish) leads can often feel stiff, but Denny and Hough have no such issue.
Benger, as well as Samantha Hill (Elizabeth) and Emily Meadows (Jane) , are quite well suited as supporting Bennett sisters. The relationship is prominent in the play without overtaking it. Eric Blais as Mr. Darcy and Darren Martens as Mr Bingley also hold their own against the Bennetts. Because they are at Pemberley, you might expect that Elizabeth and Darcy would take a prominent lead, but they comfortably support the main players. Darcy also has a few callback lines to the original Pride and Prejudice that are the perfect Easter (err… Christmas?) egg for dedicated fans.
THAT Christmas Tree
There is a running gag throughout the play about a Christmas tree in the drawing room. As Elizabeth explains, it is a German custom to have an evergreen tree on a table to decorate, and she has adopted this practice. Her husband, family, and friends question her choice throughout the entire play, but eventually come to accept it. (Benger’s petulant Lydia pitching ornaments into the tree is one of the best moments of the play!) You can read my post on the history of Christmas trees here.
RMTC must have been thinking of my when they created the program for Christmas at Pemberley, as they included a page on Christmas in Regency England. It is well worth a quick read before you see the play, as it will help set the stage for the play and give you a broader idea of Christmas in the Regency period. The Regency period is often made over-dramatic in theatre and film, but the RMTC works hard at grounding it in history. (Top marks from this historian!)
Christmas at Pemberley: Where and When Can You See It?
Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley runs from now through to Saturday, 21 December. Times for shows are as follow:
Tuesdays: 7:30pm
Wednesdays: 2:00pm
7:30pm
Thursdays: 7:30pm
Fridays: 7:30pm
Saturdays: 4:00pm
8:30pm
Sundays: 2:00pm
It is showing at John Hirsch Mainstage, and there are a few special performances. 8 December is an Open Caption performance with captions electronically shown on the side of the stage, and there a handful of Talkback performances where the actors do a Q&A after the show. (These are always fantastic, so I would absolutely recommend staying for these if you attend!)
You can buy your tickets here!
Also, a big thank you to RMTC for allowing me to use their photos.
Winnipeggers, will you be going to see RMTC’s Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley? And Austenites, are you a fan of holiday sequels?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin’
OMG!!!! I want to see this!!! It sounds so good, and the set looks beautifully festive. And, GO MARY! I always wish we had more from her in the books. She cracks me up. So happy to see she gets her own storyline and hopefully happy ending in this sequel. 🙂 I will be on the look-out for this coming to NYC/NJ in the coming years!!!