A pleasant, if forgettable enactment of PD James’ original novel
Death Comes to Pemberley combines classic characters with murder but misses the mark. The story, based on PD James’ novel of the same name, follows the events of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice when life at Pemberley is interrupted by the unprompted arrival of George Wickham and the bloodied corpse of Captain Denny. Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff remained largely true to text in transferring the story to stage but their efforts to straddle the line of comedy and drama resulted in a confused performance that failed to compel on either front.
Abel and Wagstaff’s two-act play is unbalanced. The first act drags, taking too long to make points and focusing more on witty one liners than plot progression. The dialogue is dated and not overly interesting. The second act feels rushed but is much more compelling. Despite having a cohesive plot, Death Comes to Pemberley feels disjointed. The original music, trickled throughout the show is helpful in creating a feeling of continuity. The scores are beautiful and director Joe Harmston’s decision to set it with the recurring image of Georgiana spotlighted at the pianoforte goes a long way in threading events together.
Sean Cavanagh’s adaptive and dynamic set impressively conveyed the story’s various settings. Mike Robertson’s lighting was mostly effective but struggled to set the proper tone during the show’s tender moments. Natalie Titchener’s costume design was intelligent, period appropriate, and perfectly completed the transformations of the actors portraying multiple characters.
Despite boasting many veteran performers, including James Bye of Eastenders, Death Comes to Pemberley falls flat. Jamie-Rose Duke made her stage debut as Elizabeth Darcy; she is a convincing orator but lackluster in her physical performance. She warmed as the show progressed and her performance had greatly improved by the second act. Bye was bland as the beloved Mr Darcy; like a chameleon, the quality of his performance appeared determined by the quality of his scene partner; he was brilliant arguing with Sam Woodhams’ George Wickham but dull when flirting or bickering with Duke’s Elizabeth. Bye and Duke lacked any form of chemistry despite intending to portray the much in love Darcy’s. There was an unpleasant stiffness in Duke and Bye that permeated the show as a whole.
This is a show in which the ensemble cast has completely outdone the primary. Joe Bence was a breath of fresh air. Understudy Bence stepped into the role of Henry Alveston, typically played by David Osmond, and stole the show. Expressive, energetic, and charismatic, Bence was a refreshing break from the show’s overall flatness. He was the embodiment of Henry Alveston and his chemistry with Celia Cruwys-Finnigan, who was lovely as Georgiana Darcy, was delightful. All those who multi-roled (Lisa Faulkner, Sarah Berger, Mogali Masuku, Paul Jerricho, Sam Woodhams) are due many cheers for the quality of their performances and the clarity with which they portray many very different characters. Faulkner and Masuku’s performances were particularly impressive.
Having been a successful book and television series, it is surprising that Death Comes to Pemberley has faltered on stage. The dry writing and stiff acting has disadvantaged a story with endless potential. Disappointingly, Death Comes to Pemberley is just okay.