When I heard that the Stratford Festival would mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth with an inventive dramatic adaptation by Kate Hamill of Austen’s beloved Sense and Sensibility, I considered re-reading the novel, which I studied years ago in university, before seeing the show. I chose instead to experience the play on its own merits – and what I found is a staging that is lively, stylized, and emotionally fulfilling. Directed by Daryl Cloran, the production honours its Regency roots, while embracing a refreshingly modern speed and sensibility.
Hamill’s adaptation distills Austen’s beloved novel into a brisk and boldly theatrical journey through the lives of the Dashwood sisters: sensible, self-contained Elinor (Jessica B. Hill) and impulsive, romantic Marianne (Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane). Thrust into precarity after their father’s death leaves them financially and socially vulnerable, the sisters are courted by a succession of suitors, including the reserved Edward Ferrars (Thomas Duplessie), the dashing but deceptive Willoughby (Andrew Chown), and the steadfast Colonel Brandon (Shane Carty). They must navigate heartbreak, scandal, and judgmental Regency society – the latter of which is brought to life by ever-present Gossips, who heighten the stakes with biting commentary and comic flair. The production traces the sisters’ parallel paths toward self-discovery (and the altar), as they each learn what it means to balance reason with emotion in their search for love, independence, and stability.
The production‘s theatricality is best embodied by the ensemble of Gossips. Played with deft versatility by Christopher Allen, Celia Aloma, Jesse Gervais, Jenna-Lee Hyde, and Julie Lumsden, they function as a kind of Greek Chorus. Flitting in and out of scenes with gleeful omniscience and omnipresence, they voice public judgment and social pressure, while transforming into literally everything: from dogs and horses, to shrubs and trees, and even a storm. They shift set pieces, embody atmosphere, and punctuate key moments with choreographed precision, making them essential drivers of the production’s rhythm and wit. And their exaggerated costumes and often absurd commentary epitomize the relentless scrutiny the Dashwood sisters live under, as young women picking their way through the minefields of love and reputation in a rigidly patriarchal society. Though wonderfully comedic, the device offers a pointed and layered reflection on the tyranny of external expectations, and the societal compulsion to observe, evaluate, and restrict women’s behaviour.
Dana Osborne’s set design is deceptively simple — tables, chairs, and a multi-purpose bench that are wheeled on and off stage. Their sharp, deliberate rotations sometimes signal shifting power dynamics, such as in the tea scene between Lucy and Elinor, where each jerky pivot of the settee subtly underscores who holds the upper hand in their genteel verbal sparring. This minimalism keeps the focus on character and gesture, theatrically reinforcing Austen’s emphasis on social codes and performative behaviour.
Cloran’s staging is visually playful, with Osborne’s set and costume design highlighting the performative nature of social interaction. Empire waisted dresses, plume-y hats, and overcoats summon the Regency era, while oversized gilt-edged picture frames hung at different levels and angles reinforce the sense of private emotions vs public display and of being watched, curated, and judged. It is a clever metaphor for the characters’ constant self-monitoring within their fishbowl lives, pinned under the inescapable gaze of the Gossips.
Julie Tomaino’s movement direction is an essential key to the production’s dynamism, which keeps the nearly three-hour run time from dragging. The action flows with crispness and energy: set pieces roll fluidly across the stage, and scenes transition as seamlessly as a precisely timed ballet. And the resulting stylized rhythm perfectly suits Hamill’s adaptation, which flirts with farce and satire without entirely abandoning Austen’s thematic and emotional core. The adaptation does take liberties with tone, often favouring broad comedy over Austen’s subtler ironies. But while this will divide purists, it allows the production to appeal to a wider audience. The humour lands more often than not, and the satirical edge, seen best in the Gossips’ antics, offers a fresh, cheeky take on the rituals and hypocrisies of courtship and class.
Hill and Sinclair-Brisbane are twin linchpins of this production, and anchor it with excellent performances. Hill brings clarity and quiet emotional depth to the restrained Elinor, while Sinclair-Brisbane imbues Marianne with a vivid blend of headstrong passion and youthful vulnerability. And their chemistry feels authentic, providing an emotional throughline that grounds the production amidst its overt theatricality.
Meanwhile, a delightful Sara Farb wrings sharp comedy from the icy façades of her roles as frosty sister-in-law Fanny (Ferrars) Dashwood and the impossibly mannered Lady Middleton. And Festival newcomer Jade V. Robinson brings sprightly, foot-stamping energy to younger sister Margaret Dashwood – a spark that contrasts sharply her portrayal of Elinor’s rival Lucy Steele, whose polished civility masks a calculating and conniving streak.
Ultimately, Stratford’s Sense and Sensibility is a warm, witty, and stylish celebration of a literary classic. It wisely doesn’t seek to recreate the hundreds of pages of Austen’s novel. Instead, it channels the spirit of her story — its compassion, its critique, and its belief in love and integrity — to create an inventive, thoroughly theatrical world that is credibly its own.
Sense and Sensibility continues at the Stratford Festival’s Festival Theatre until October 25, 2025. Tickets are available on stratfordfestival.ca.
© Arpita Ghosal Sesaya Arts Magazine 2025
