Sense and Sensibility – OVO Roman Theatre Open Air Festival, St Albans

Jane Austen’s classic Sense and Sensibility gets a new theatrical adaptation and a unique outdoor setting at St Albans’ Roman Theatre. Part of OVO’s annual outdoor theatre festival, now one of the UK’s largest.

Sense and Sensibility

Do you recall that earlier this year I posted about Roman St Albans and all the points of interest you can see? Well I had the delightful opportunity yesterday evening of returning to St Albans specifically to see a performance in the Roman theatre. One ambition fulfilled, now I just have to return once more to finally see Old Gorhambury!

Theatre company OVO “create bold, imaginative and surprising new versions of classic plays and stories”. They also run the annual Roman Theatre Open Air Festival, which has grown to be one of the UK’s largest outdoor theatre festivals. The Roman Theatre is a unique venue. It’s unusual even for Roman theatres, in that it had a stage rather than amphitheatre configuration. With space for 2,000 spectators at its height, the remains of the theatre uncovered in 1847 now hold significantly less than that. But it’s a cosy spot: out of the wind, with facilities onsite including a bar with lovely views of the surrounding fields.

But let’s get onto the topic at hand, Sense and Sensibility. In collaboration with Pitlochry Festival Theatre (more dates coming up at both venues), Jane Austen’s classic story gets a new adaptation. Scottish playwright Frances Poet sticks close to the original setting, language and manners, but trims down extraneous scenes and characters to give us a running time of 2 hours 15 minutes. Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are still here, as are their mother, half brother John and sister in law Fanny, but youngest sister Margaret is one of those trimmed. We follow the sisters as their father’s death and John and Fanny’s cruel treatment place them in a precarious financial situation just as they come of age. They must navigate a change in circumstances while also navigating first loves in all their delights and disappointments.

Duality of Roles and Characters

Poet’s period adaptation gets a modern twist, however, in the form of pop song arrangements by Adam Morris. The arrangements are a little staid, perhaps to meet the formality of the Georgian era, but allow the cast to show off their vocal range and occasionally piano-playing skills too. It’s a nice way to update the story and keep up energy. Connor Going, who plays Elinor’s love interest Edward Ferrars, doubles as Music Supervisor. And doubling is a good point to come onto. Several of the slim cast of eight double roles, which is both efficient and sometimes amusing.

To stick with Going first of all, he plays the modest and moral Edward as well as his racier brother Robert, to excellent comic effect. Chris Coxon is both the weak John Dashwood and the compassionate Colonel Brandon. Nina Kristofferson plays the ever-unlikeable Fanny as well as the silly but big-hearted (and inexplicably American in accent) Mrs Jennings. A great way to show off range. But perhaps not so great as Robin Simpson, who plays the Dashwoods’ relative Sir John Middleton with great charisma, and then employs his skills as resident Dame at York Theatre Royal to take a turn as Mrs Ferrars. The role switching gives the production a fun energy, especially in the outdoor setting where you can see the reactions from fellow audience members.

But the acting talent is not merely in the ability to inhabit multiple roles in short order. There are several very good performances here. Robin Simpson as Sir John Middleton I have already mentioned. Lola Aluko and Kirsty Findlay as Marianne and Elinor respectively are also excellent. Marianne’s impetuosity and Elinor’s restraint are, broadly speaking, the sense and sensibility of the title. The warmth of their relationship despite their differences is the heart of the story and well portrayed by Aluko and Findlay. Luke Wilson has the less enviable task as the villain of the piece, but finds the balance which makes his character almost (but not quite) redeemable.

A Fitting Setting

Watching all this against the backdrop of the Roman Theatre was very pleasing indeed. The Regency period saw a surge of interest in antiquities and antiquarian societies, and their architecture also reflected Greek and Roman influences. So it seems a very fitting setting. Set designer Nick Trueman plays up to this. His set, which is a compact version of the staging at Pitlochry, uses columns to create weight and structure. As the evening darkens, they begin to glow as part of Jeanine Byrne’s lighting design. The props are light-touch, present only to sustain the Regency spell. And the actors sit around the stage between scenes, when they are not making use of the grassed entrances and exits of the Roman theatre to add extra drama.

I’ve seen indications that this production of Sense and Sensibility may work better in this setting than in its alternate Scottish home. It’s certainly a good fit for the Roman theatre, and was much enjoyed by the audience. Locals seem to have their approach for the OVO Roman Theatre Open Air Festival sorted. They came armed with cold and wet weather gear, cushions and supplies. But as the Salterton Arts Review demonstrates it’s also possible (just about) to come for the evening from London. And everything you need is on site thanks to the attentive and friendly staff.

For a story now more than two centuries old, Sense and Sensibility retains its relevance, especially in this new adaptation. We may not have the same precarity-based obsessions with marriage and inheritance, but themes of love, duty and family endure. There were a few moments where I felt this version projected back our own sensibilities onto the past. But overall I enjoyed the adaptation as a fun and charming evening with enough sense (and sensibility) to ground it. Do head to the Roman theatre if you can, but given the summer we’ve had please do go prepared!

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

Sense and Sensibility on until 18 August 2024 as part of OVO Roman Theatre Open Air Festival. More info and tickets here.