Emma – Abbey Theatre – Review

Dates: 22 November – 25 January 2025

Written by Kate Hamill, based on the novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Claire O’Reilly

” Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” – the opening line of Emma

When Jane Austen wrote Emma, some 210 years ago, I doubt she would have expected it to spawn anything as flamboyant as this production! There are dance scenes involving the full cast, with music by Chappell Roan (HOT TO GO!) and Robyn (Dancing On My Own). There is also much high jinx and exuberance. Occasionally, it feels closer to Fleabag, as Emma (Toni O’Rourke) talks directly to the audience, telling us her hopes and fears.

This is a long way from a drab period drama. If you’re looking for the Regency-era novel come to life, look elsewhere. The play is set somewhere in the last 200 years with the same structure and storyline as the original but with modern-day sensibilities. While the aim of all the female characters is still to find an eligible man and marry, they do question this urge. Their emotions and sentiments are quite far removed from the reserved world of the novel.

This adaptation is the product of New York writer Kate Hamill and was first performed in the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis in 2022. This new production is by Director Claire O’Reilly, who is known for her work with the Malaprop Theatre collective, including Hothouse, which won the Best Production Award at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2023.

The cast includes several actors with strong comedic tendencies. Hannah Mamalis is known for her one-woman theatre shows, and stand-up comedy, along with her appearances with Dreamgun. She plays Harriet as an ungainly, wild and deeply emotional individual, lost in Emma’s spell. Clare Barrett is known for many comedy roles, and she plays Miss Bates as a warm and well-meaning character, a typical Irish Mammy. Toni O’Rourke plays our main protagonist Emma and it’s quite a workout. She’s on stage for the majority of the piece, as the scheming would-be matchmaker. She gives the character warmth and compassion while being suitably sassy and quick-witted.

The Set Design by Molly O’Cathain and Costume Design by Catherine Fay are important to create the feel of the production, using elements and styles that echo the time and place of the original, without being too stuffy. Emma does several costume changes on stage and there is not a corset in sight!

This production could be viewed as sacrilege by those expecting a costume drama. It is clearly aimed at a younger audience or those who would enjoy the irreverence of the piece. The script is lighthearted and goes for laughs throughout. It may not have the depth of the original novel, but it does add much humour to the mix. The cast put impressive energy and life into the script, and special mention must go to Clare Barrett for her vocal performance on ‘Dancing On My Own’ that brought the house down!

Credits
Miss Bates / Servant: Clare Barrett
Jane Fairfax / Mrs Elton / Robert Martin: Ciara Berkeley
Mrs Weston / Mrs Bates: Liz FitzGibbon
Mr Elton / Mr Churchill: Domhnall Herdman
Mr Weston / Mr Woodhouse: Damian Kearney
Harriet: Hannah Mamalis
Mr Knightley: Patrick Martins
Emma: Toni O’Rourke

Written by: Kate Hamill
Based on the novel by: Jane Austen
Director: Claire O’Reilly
Set Designer: Molly O’Cathain
Costume Designer: Catherine Fay
Lighting Designer: Sinéad McKenna
Composer and Sound Designer: Jenny O’Malley
Movement Director: Philip Connaughton
Hair and Makeup: Leonard Daly
Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth
Casting Director: Barry Coyle
Assistant Director: Ellen Buckley
Assistant Lighting Designer: Kevin Murphy
Intimacy Co-ordinator: Sue Mythen
Publicity Image: Patricio Cassinoni
Publicity: Conleth Teevan