Tag: night out

reviews, theatre

Theatre Review: Plied & Prejudice – Waterloo Vaults

ramblingmads

On Thursday my friend and I went to the Vaults theatre in Waterloo, just round the corner from the Old Vic, to see five very enthusiastic and energetic Aussies play 20 characters in a parody of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with a fab cocktail bar and despite the heat, driving us all a bit mad, a great night out.

The run has been extended into August, so get those tickets now – here – you’ll regret it if you don’t.

I laughed the whole way through, it’s absolutely hilarious.

The bar area is designed as a garden full of delights, the bar serves delicious frozen margs (and other drinks), there’s a selfie area, an Only Fans corner (see photos), and a Crystal Maze style money booth, where you could win the Marriage Mart with a Darcy or a Bingley or lose with a Collins or Wickham. It all sets the scene.

The show itself is in the round, with the audience sitting either side, the actors in their multiple role playing, quick costume changes, at one point it gets so fast, it’s dizzying. And they do this every night!

Mr & Mrs Bennett
Lizzie (centre), Jane (right)
The three younger Bennetts
The slimiest Mr Collins ever
Lady Catherine De Bourgh

If you play the video below with the sound on you will hear all the laughing, including my cackle!

Mr Collins and Lizzie

They whizz through the novel, skipping all the terribly boring bits. We do get Mr Darcy in his wet shirt (because deviating from the source material is fine) and even a kiss! The actor who plays Mr Collins *shudder* made him the creepiest, slimiest version I can remember, no idea why Charlotte marries him. 

Lady Catherine de Bourgh literally creaks as she moves. And everyone marries their cousins because well, it’s legal in Australia (Google it!). There’s lots of in jokes that will keep you giggling all night and marriage vows that sound very reminiscent of Rick Astley…

Honestly it’s a genuinely brilliant night out and we had a great time. It culminates in a dance party/wedding reception to which there audience is invited.

Dance time with cast and audience

We were gifted our tickets, as it was a press night, so thank you very much.

theatre

Plied and Prejudice – a theatrical night out

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Tonight a friend and I are going to see this amazing sounding show. Plied & Prejudice is a parody of Jane Austen featuring music, dancing and hopefully a riotous good time. I’ll be back later in the week with my review and recommendation.  But here’s what others have had to say and a bit more about the show in case you fancy booking tickets before then.

“A 90 minute whirlwind that had us crying with laughter. Five Stars.” The Sun

“Is it bonkers? Yes. Is it a lot of fun? Also yes.” Evening Standard

“A hilarious adaptation well worth a watch.” Metro 

“One of London’s most boldly interactive shows.” Time Out

“Definitely one of the most fun things you should be doing this month.” Stylist

“This hilarious gin-sloshing soiree is unleashing tongue-in-cheek charm

and infectious energy on London audiences.” Secret London

“Jane Austen like you’ve never seen her before.” Harper’s Bazaar

“A truly insane evening.” Glamour Magazine

Telling the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy as you’ve never seen it before Plied and Prejudice invites you to Pemberley for Mr Darcy’s booziest ball. Equal parts performance and party, this immersive show delivers lots of audience participation complete with dance lessons, inappropriate proposals, free flowing drinks brought to you by the servants, that wet shirt scene and cameos from Keira Knightly (not the real one!).

With five actors scrambling to play twenty characters in this chaotic retelling, all notions of respectable theatre (and Regency etiquette) get thrown out the door! Direct from a sellout run in Australia, this is Pride and Prejudice as the BBC would never abide.



Whether you’re an Austen die-hard, or you’d rather be watching Die Hard, you’re sure to love it—most ardently! Bring your eligible bachelors, your unmarried daughters, and the lover you’ll settle for if your cousin won’t have you, for an unhinged night of love, lust, and libations.



Produced by Australian outfit Woodward Productions (The Woman In Black, Jersey Boys, A Very Naughty Christmas) and exec produced by London’s Glass Half Full Productions (The Lehman Trilogy, Ocean at the End of the Lane, 9 to 5: The Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical), Plied and Prejudice has been written by Matthew Semple, from the originating producer Alex Woodward and directed by Dash Kruck, having sold over 40,000 tickets in Australia. The stunning immersive set is designed by legendary theatre designer Penny Challen who has made sets for ROH, RSC, ENO and National Theatre, amongst many others.

Dates: Opened on 13th March 2025.Extended until 8th August 2025.

Performance times: 7.30pm – 9.30pm, Thursday-Sunday. 2.30pm – 4.30pm, Saturday-Sunday. 

Venue: The Vaults Launcelot St, London SE1 7AD

Nearest station:  Waterloo

Box Office Link: https://pliedandpredjudice.line-up.tickets/event/36387

Age Guidance: Strictly 18+. No under 18s will be admitted to the show.

Run Time: 2 Hours

Warnings: Drug and Alcohol references, Coarse Language, Sexual Language, Inappropriate Jokes, Loud Music, and the Wettest of Wet T-shirt Contests

reviews, theatre

Easily Offended?

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Took my boyfriend to the theatre tonight for his birthday. We went to see The Book of Mormon.

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We saw Avenue Q a few years ago, and this is by the same team (who also wrote South Park – which I can’t stand).

BoM is very, very funny but not for anyone who doesn’t like swearing, or sexual references. Basically, if you’re easily offended, skip this and see something else (Les Mis, Cats, Phantom, all good).

The story is that of two Mormon missionaries from Utah who are dispatched to northern Uganda for their two year mission – to convert and baptize the natives.

A lot of the jokes revolve around the fish out of water scenario these 19 year olds find themselves in. However, others are very crude and based on American stereotypes of Africans. There are jokes about Aids, poverty, FGM (I didn’t find these funny), warlords, rape (again, not so funny) and dysentery.

Fans of South Park will know this crudity, and find it amusing, and while I laughed at some of the jokes, others really grated. South Park has never been something I would choose to watch, I really don’t think it’s funny or clever.

I think it depends on your comedic taste and level of sensitivity to near-knuckle humour, as to whether this show would be for you.

The man sat in front of me laughed so hard at times, I was a bit concerned as he was bright red.

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adventures, life, reviews, theatre

Fat Sam’s Grand Slam…

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One of my greatest loves in life is the theatre, I wanted to be an actress but have crippling stage fright so I have to settle for a seat in the audience.

Last night we went to the Lyric theatre in Hammersmith to see their fabulous production of Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone.

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Previously thought to be un-stageable, the Lyric’s talented director Sean Hughes and his cast of future megastars proved that completely wrong.

As in the film that introduced Jodie Foster to the world, all the roles are played by child actors, and let me tell you, I highly expect these insanely talented kids to go far.

From their breathtaking dance routines, to the (mostly) flawless American accents, to the beautiful singing voices (the girl playing Blousey Brown stood out in particular) and the brilliant comic asides from Fat Sam himself, this was one hell of a show and they deserved every second of the standing ovation.

I wasn’t applauding because ‘Aww look at how cute they are’, I was applauding incredible talent, which comes in all shapes and sizes(and ages).

Yes, most of them attend drama classes or stage school (as I did for a bit) but so do dozens of other young performers, and sadly some of them will never stand on a professional stage.

So hats off to the cast of Bugsy, and if you’re in or near London, go, it’s a great theatre, a fantastic show, and the tickets are £15. What more could you want?

ramblingmads