“A warm, witty Austen adaptation that even won over this Emma novice.”
Walking into the Oxford Playhouse for Emma, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Never having read the book or seen a previous version I lacked previous knowledge of the story and was bracing for a lot of characters in bonnets and a plot I might struggle to follow. What I got instead was a warm, funny, thoughtfully staged production that had the audience (including me) fully charmed.
The set was simple but effective: clean, minimal, and clever with lighting to help us shift between indoor drawing rooms and outdoor garden strolls. Nothing flashy, but it didn’t need to be, it let the characters and dialogue take centre stage. Scene changes were slick, using ensemble characters as members of the household, which kept the pace flowing nicely in the first half, and the whole thing had a polished feel without ever becoming stuffy.
India Shaw-Smith was a clear standout as Emma: charismatic, confident, and completely watchable. She held the whole piece together with ease, moving between comedy and sincerity as Emma’s emotional arc unfolded. William Chubb also deserves a special mention as the hypochondriac Mr Woodhouse, his comic timing was spot on and clearly a hit with the audience.
The rest of the cast were strong across the board, and you could feel how well they worked together as an ensemble. While the plot got a little bogged down in the second half (especially if, like me, you’re new to the story and can see the ending from a mile off), the performances still carried it through. A slightly tighter final act wouldn’t have hurt, but it never lost its charm.
What surprised me most was just how funny the show was. The humour landed again and again, gentle in tone but genuinely laugh-out-loud in places. It felt faithful to Austen’s wit but didn’t rely on the audience knowing the book inside out. The room was full of audible enjoyment from start to finish, whether people were longtime fans or not.In short: this Emma was a thoughtful, well-performed adaptation with a lightness of touch and a real sense of joy. It’s unlikely to convert Austen-sceptics, but if you’re open to a period drama that knows exactly what it’s doing — and does it well — it’s absolutely worth seeing.
Emma plays at the Oxford Playhouse until 25th October. Tickets are available here.
Brilliant show and witty. Emma and her father, and Ed Sayer as Knightly stole the show. Harriet was also excellent. A slick uplifting performance, I cried at the end when Emma Knightly finally kissed!