Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is the first of playwright Lauren Gunderson’s popular series of Pride and Prejudice sequels written for the stage. Co-authored by Margot Melcon, this new tale takes place at the elegant Darcy estate of Pemberley two years after the end of Jane Austen’s novel. It’s the dead of winter, and Lizzy, the lady of the house, hosts members from both sides of the family for the holidays.
The play details a whirlwind yuletide romance for Lizzy’s bookish younger sister, Mary Bennet (played by Yildiz Soyal). The young woman’s surprise suitor is Arthur De Bourgh (played by Tristan Fleming), a distant relation to the Darcy family. Fleming calls De Bourgh a “socially awkward scholar” with a healthy inheritance whose penchant for “nerdy prattling” creates sweetly comedic moments. “Throughout the play, De Bourgh gains integrity and individualism through his attraction to and interest in Mary,” says Fleming.
For Soyal, originally from Sweden, working with a period-appropriate aristocratic-British accent has been a challenge. But, as an accomplished performer in her home country, she has been able to accommodate the needs of theater for an English-speaking audience, and she has appeared in other English-language works, including Les Misérables and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Mary is smart and verbal and witty,” says Soyal, “… and since this is based on Austen, the course of true love does not run smoothly!”
Soyal calls Gunderson and Melcon’s script true to Austen’s charm and wit. “Austen’s work endures because it’s brilliantly delightful,” she says, “as we hope the play will be.”
Fleming agrees, calling Austen’s work timeless. “This play in particular is super well-written, a love letter to Jane Austen’s work. It’s witty, clever, and very impactful.” Christmas at Pemberley is a student showcase produced by the SBCC drama department and directed by Katie Laris. The show runs at the Jurkowitz Theatre November 12-22. See bit.ly/4o8NRrA for more information and tickets.
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