Pride & Prejudice

RAODS, Plaza Theatre, Romsey

Emily Ruos, in her debut performance for RAODS, makes a charming and highly personable Lizzie Bennet. Full of gentle and affectionate humour, she invites us to share her understanding of the foibles of others in Jane Austen's Regency world, albeit with facial expressions that are sometimes in danger of leading the audience too obviously. Alex Ruos also debuts, as Wickham, though Janet Munsil's script gives him little chance to distract us from Jonathan Barney-Marmont's handsome and passionate Mr Darcy.

Director Julie Edwards' show brings Austen's characters to life, including Dave Francis and Meriel Shepherd as Lizzie's mischievous and shrewd father and wonderfully fretful but determined mother, Mat Robinson bringing the house down with his comic physicality as Mr Collins, Georgette Ellison, memorably snobby and irksome as Caroline Bingley.

Heather Whitham's a splendidly imperious Lady Catherine De-Bourgh, and she and the rest of the Wardrobe Department have dressed this production beautifully.

Ham Quentin