Austentatious

The comic period production Austentatious is based on nothing more than a title suggested by the audience. From that, the cast creates an entirely improvised play – one that is different each time and always hysterical.

A troupe of talented and quick-witted actors and comedians – Cariad Lloyd, Rachel Parris, Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Andrew Hunter Murray, Charlotte Gittins, Joseph Morpurgo and others – perform the shows. They not only love Jane Austen, but enjoy immersing themselves in her world with its bold characters and clever dialogue. Among the “lost” masterpieces they’ve presented are Sixth Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Shark and Double 0 Darcy, all done in period costumes with live musical accompaniment.

The Times has called Austentatious “ridiculous silly” and “wickedly funny”, while The Guardian said it is “a joy to behold” and the Independent described it as “a bravura slab of improvisation”.

A multi award-winning production, Austentatious has had seven sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as numerous sell-out national tours. The cast have also done special recordings for BBC Radio 4, including one to mark the bicentenary of Austen’s death. In 2019, the show delighted more than 10,000 theatre goers in London at the Fortune Theatre.

In late 2020, Austentatious announced it would be “saddling the horses” for another tour of theatres across the UK from May to November 2021.