New Australian Work SENSE & SENSIBILITY - THE MUSICAL To Open In Melbourne

In this original musical to be staged at the Gasworks in Melbourne, Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility is brought to life with a fresh perspective. Director Sharmini Kumar has breathed new life into this classic piece of literature examining this period drama with a post-colonial lens and bringing nuance and depth to characters through her original book and music which allow audiences to share in their innermost thoughts.

SENSE & SENSIBILITY - The Musical focuses on timeless questions such as how we know what people are worth and homes in on the issues of colonialism, the social contract and what it means to be an ethical person in an unethical system.

The show recounts the story of the Dashwood sisters, who are born into a wealthy English family in the mid 1800s and then must deal with a drastic change of their circumstances when they find themselves destitute. Older sister Elinor believes in letting honour and duty rule over heart. Whilst her impulsive younger sister, Marianne, is guided only by her feelings. Their two very different approaches take them through family tragedy, romantic entanglement, and the complexities of living at the heart of the British Empire, where they are forced to seek financial security through marriage.

Sharmini says, "We're very excited to be able to perform this show - we had initially hoped to present it in 2020, and then moved it to late 2021 ... but a third time is a charm! We've been sitting with these characters for so long now and can't wait to share their stories with other people."

This reimagined story still has pivotal moments from the original novel but has some added narrative and original music aimed to make you think. It explores themes such as the impacts of British colonialism and the experiences of existing as an outsider. The show opens a pandora's box of moral dilemmas about society, so if you come for the bonnets, you might get more than you bargained for!

24 Carrot Productions is a company that aims to promote historically marginalised perspectives. Formed by theatre and filmmaker Sharmini Kumar with a view to re-imagine and re-invigorate our most loved classics for contemporary audiences, 24 Carrot Productions has been creating new works since 2011. Past productions include 2 Gentlemen, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, The Importance of Being Ernest, The Regina Monologues, Shakespeare in Therapy, The Margins of Persuasion, and the ever-popular annual Austen Con.