WALTZ your way through picnics, parties and posh frocks in this exceptional Regency rom-com.
With an outstanding reputation for unique and distinctive adaptations over the past 17 years, Heartbreak Productions are delighted to be touring with Emma: a brand new adaptation of the heart-warming, engaging and charming Jane Austen classic, which comes to The Plough, Torrington next month.
Having presented audiences with Romeo and Juliet performed by opposing Italian football teams and Henry V set within the confines of a boys' boarding school, to name but a few of Heartbreak's impressive list of productions, it will be no surprise that this latest offering breaks the boundaries of the everyday adaptation.
Peter Mimmack, the artistic director and responsible for the adaptation of Emma, said: 'As I researched the book, I began to realise what was so special about Jane Austen — the beautifully drawn characters are unparalleled in literature, it really is no wonder that they are loved the world over.'
'It was a specific scene from the novel where Emma draws her friend Harriet that led to my idea of creating a device to frame and tell the story from the perception of artists of the day.'
The familiar, world-renowned story is still there: Emma, a clever, rich, bored and 'slightly' spoiled young woman, throws herself into the perils of mis-matchmaking, getting it hopelessly wrong.
The gossip and squabbles, the riddles, blunders and misunderstandings and the glorious romance all abound but there is more to this inventive and unique adaptation: the creation of a new perspective offers a refreshing insight to a classic we think we know.
Peter said: 'There is something about how art relates to society; it appears to have a leisurely nature and although rather elegant in execution, it can provoke debate about all points of society and in this case, a society at the heart of the novel.
'By adding the artist characters, we are able to look anew at the world Austen created.'
As expected from a Heartbreak production, live music, dance and audience interaction abound, as — from the engaging yet exasperating Emma to the sympathetic yet quintessential bore, Miss Bates — the multi-talented cast recreate the rich and varied personalities of some of the most vibrant characters from English literature, bringing them leaping from page to stage and into our hearts.
Another power-packed and impressive adaptation from Heartbreak Productions — classic adaptations of the highest order.
Emma plays The Plough on Tuesday March 10 and Wednesday March 11 at 8pm.
Tickets £10 full/£9 concessions/£8 supporters.
Box office 01805 624624.