As a follow-up to their acclaimed theatrical adaptations of novels like The Jungle Book and Wuthering Heights, the UK’s Chapterhouse Theatre Company reaches next for one of the most beloved works of British literature, debuting their China tour of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice this month with shows at both the Shanghai Grand Theatre's Buick Theatre and the Huangpu Theatre.
Austen’s classic novel, which is part romantic drama and part razor-sharp comedy of manners, immortalized the characters of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as one of the most famous romantic pairings of all time. Chapterhouse Theatre’s theatrical adaptation by playwright Laura Turner coincides with the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s passing, commemorating the timelessness of the author’s themes two centuries later.
“Austen’s popularity is largely due to the fact that [her novels] could have been written yesterday; themes of love, passion, guilt and jealousy all make up the foundations of modern literature,” says Chapterhouse’s artistic director Richard Main. Turner and Main have collaborated on several other adaptations of Austen novels prior to tackling Pride and Prejudice, and this newest show promises all the crackling wit, subtle irony and slow-burning passion as Austen’s original work.
Founded in the UK in 1999, Chapterhouse Theatre has expanded from a modest local company to an international touring troupe. They got their start performing intimate plays in unusual venues throughout the English countryside – in castles, country houses and outdoor spaces – before expanding to their tours abroad. Main has no shortage of fond memories from this early period, involving everything from a flock of onlooking sheep to interrupting cows. However, the tours through China have been memorable in their own right for both Chapterhouse’s actors and Main himself.
“China is widely considered to be one of the cultural capitals of the planet, so as soon as we were offered the opportunity, there was never any doubt whether we would want to come,” he says of their first tour. “People in the United Kingdom are, on the whole, quite reserved in their appreciation of [theater], so the response from the young people in China has been something that the actors really appreciate.”
The popularity of Austen’s classic work and Chapterhouse’s wealth of experience in adapting Victorian-era British literature ensures that this latest adaptation will be one of Chapterhouse’s best, but Main is also looking ahead to the company’s future projects. His personal favorite Jane Austen novel is Sense & Sensibility, which the company is touring next summer, and Main also has a long-term goal of one day adapting the classic C.S. Lewis novel The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe for the stage.
The company has an extremely prodigious touring schedule, with several stints throughout the country each year, and this work ethic paired with their knack for choosing novels that have a timeless resonance ensures that their profile throughout China will only continue to grow.
“All great literature, no matter what country it is from, touches the heart of the reader,” says Main. “I think the resurgence of these works is, in part, due to their reimagining in popular culture. We are part of that and are very lucky to be so. We are, to some extent, adding our own definition of these works with our adaptations, but as with all great novels, their themes are universal.”
Oct 31 - Nov 5, 7.30pm; Nov 4, 2pm, RMB60-380. Shanghai Grand Theatre's Buick Theatre, see event listing.
Nov 7-9, 7.30pm, RMB80-380. Huangpu Theatre.
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