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A rollercoaster rehearsal season has not changed the ‘lively, playful disposition’ of the kingdom’s oldest English-language theatre group as they gear up to stage Pride and Prejudice next month.
The Manama Theatre Club (MTC), a section of the British Club, has been busy putting together its biggest cast and crew since pre-Covid days for a four-show run of Pride and Prejudice, which was originally set to be staged in November last year.
“This will be a period piece set in the 19th century, but a modern audience, especially in Bahrain, will be able to relate to it, because of the cultural and economic importance that marriage holds,” play director Gail Knappett told GulfWeekly.
The three-act play is based on the 1813 book of the same name by Jane Austen, which was adapted into a stage play by Helen Jerome.
Helen’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is one of its most popular and focuses on three young sisters – Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia – who exist in a time where a woman’s only career option is matrimony.
Elizabeth, however is not happy with the status quo, and the play centres on her pride, and her love interest Mr Darcy’s prejudice.
Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia will be played by Olivia Prince-Smith, Maryam Rashed Almoosa and Khadija Mercer, while Christopher Diciolla will portray Mr Darcy.
Daho Abidat and Hannah Turner will be Mr and Mrs Bennet, the sisters’ parents.
“We had to delay the previous set of performances because two of our main actors had to drop out due to personal reasons, and we had to hold another set of auditions,” show producer Lisa Rebello, who, after five years of involvement with the 40-plus-year-old theatre club, is making her production debut with this show.
“However, we have been able to find two astounding actors to take their spot and we are looking forward to putting on some memorable performances!”
Primarily a conversation-driven play, the MTC show of Pride and Prejudice will have a minimal set, with sometimes just a fireplace and sofa on the stage. Even the music is minimal throughout the performance. However, that has not stopped the performers and crew from integrating a number of visual jokes as well as slapstick humour, which Gail hopes, will have the audience splitting their sides.
“It is no easy feat getting 35 people on the same page to put on a performance like this, especially when everyone has their own schedules,” Gail admitted.
“However, our passion for telling this story kept us going. Although it is a quintessentially English story, we are making it relevant to the diverse audience we are expecting.”
The two-and-a-half-hour show, including intermission will be staged on February 6, 7, 9 and 10 at 7.30pm with doors opening at 7pm.
Tickets go on sale today and can be purchased for BD8.500 at the British Club reception, as well as on Platinumlist.
Non-members of the British Club will also have to pay an additional BD1.500 at the door to get access to the Queen Elizabeth II Theatre.
For more details, follow @mtcbahrain on Instagram.
