Review: THE WATSONS by Stagecraft Theatre

The Watsons is a 2018 play by British playwright Laura Wade, adapted from Jane Austen's unfinished novel of the same name. Wade begins with Austen's original story before cleverly transforming it into a witty meta-theatrical comedy. The play premiered at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester before transferring to London.

The story follows Emma Watson, who returns to her family home after losing the financial support of her wealthy aunt. Suddenly thrust back into Regency society, Emma must navigate a world where marriage is often the only path to financial security. However, when Austen's unfinished manuscript abruptly comes to an end, the characters become aware of their predicament and begin challenging the playwright herself. 

As we enter the theatre, a woman sits with her back to the audience, tending to an ailing gentleman in bed. The set is relatively simple, resembling a room from the period in which Jane Austen lived. We are then introduced to Emma, the main character, as she prepares to attend a ball and meet the local society, including the wealthy Osborne family.

When the Osbornes finally arrive, we meet Lord Osborne, who quickly becomes smitten with Emma. There are other potential suitors as well, including the charming but somewhat roguish Tom Musgrave and the earnest local clergyman, Mr Howard. Just as a marriage proposal seems imminent, Austen's original manuscript reaches its conclusion and the play takes a fascinating turn in an entirely unexpected direction.

This is a large cast for a relatively small stage, but it never felt overcrowded. That is a credit to the direction of Amy Whiterod, whose staging made the cast movement appear natural and effortless. There was also a wonderful full-cast sequence towards the end of Act One that left a particularly strong impression.

The costumes were excellent throughout, with everyone looking entirely at home in the period. I was initially surprised to see Laura, the maid, wearing white trainers, but the reason for this became clear very quickly and made perfect sense within the context of the production.

There were only a handful of sound cues, all of which were executed well, while the lighting design remained simple and unobtrusive, supporting rather than distracting from the action on stage.

With a cast of this size, it was impressive that the performances were consistently strong across the board. There were no real weak links, although one or two performers could perhaps have dialled back their delivery slightly to make their characters feel more believable. As always, though, my favourite part of reviewing is shining a light on those performers who really stood out and deserve special recognition.

My favourites included Ella McNeillage as Emma Watson, who delivered a strong and convincing performance in the title role. Clayton Foster was outstanding as the awkward Lord Osborne, hilariously uncertain of how to approach the woman who had captured his attention at the ball. His mannerisms and facial expressions were spot on, and it ranks among my favourite performances I have seen this year.

Sarah Campin-Fordham was delightfully natural as Laura. She brought warmth and authenticity to the role of the playwright. Dinah Vincent, as Nanny, demonstrated in the first act that you can deliver a compelling performance while barely uttering a word. Finally, Maia Key as young Charles Howard fully embodied the energy and playfulness of a child and was consistently enjoyable to watch whenever she was on stage.

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