PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Returns to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Starring Felicity Montagu; UK Tour to Follow

Following sell-out performances in 2013, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's acclaimed production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, adapted for the stage by Simon Reade, returns this year to close the 2016 Summer Season ahead of a major UK Tour in September. Opening at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, the tour will then visit Norwich, Cambridge, Salford, Leicester, Woking, Truro, Birmingham and Richmond, with further dates in 2017. There will be a press night at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on Thursday 22 September at 7.30pm.

Pride and Prejudice is the third Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production to tour the UK, following their smash hit productions of To Kill a Mockingbird in 2014/15 and Lord of the Flies in 2015/16.

Felicity Montagu will play Mrs. Bennet. Perhaps best known for playing the long-suffering PA Lynn in I'm Alan Partridge, a role she played in both the TV series and the 2013 film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Felicity was most recently seen playing Mrs Mainwaring in the 2016 film remake of Dad's Army. Other notable roles include Perpetua in Bridget Jones's Diary, Caroline Bosman in ITV's Doc Martin and Sue 2 in BBC's Nighty Night. Other film credits include I Want Candy and Confetti, and other television credits include The Durrells (ITV), Mapp and Lucia (BBC), and three series of Hank Zipzer (CBBC). On stage, Felicity has starred inQuartermaine's Terms alongside Rowan Atkinson (Wyndham's Theatre), The Shaughraun (National Theatre) and Angels in America (National Theatre).

One of the most universally loved and quintessentially English novels of all time, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of the Bennet family and their five unmarried daughters. A family of humble means, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet see the perfect opportunity to improve their social standing when the wealthy Mr. Bingley and his eligible friend Mr. Darcy move to the neighbourhood. But while Bingley takes an immediate liking to their eldest daughter Jane, the dismissive Darcy instantly clashes with the Bennet's headstrong second daughter, Elizabeth. As the Bennet sisters haplessly search for love in Jane Austen's ultimate romantic comedy, it is Mr Darcy who unwittingly finds his match.

First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in English literature, selling over 20 million copies and spawning numerous adaptations, most notably the 1940 film starring Laurence Olivier and the 1995 BBC adaptation starring Colin Firth. The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production of Pride and Prejudice was first staged in 2013 to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the novel's publication.

Pride and Prejudice is directed by Deborah Bruce, whose theatre credits include The Mysteries and Helen (Globe Theatre); Ingredient X and Made of Stone (Royal Court); Scarborough (Edinburgh Fringe First Award, Assembly Rooms/Royal Court); Blame (Arcola / York Theatre Royal) and Mrs Warren's Profession (Bristol Old Vic). It is designed by Max Jones, whose credits include The Crucible (Manchester Royal Exchange); The Tempest (Globe Theatre); The Merry Wives of Windsor (RSC) and Of Mice and Men (West Yorkshire Playhouse). Costume design is by Tom Piper, who designed the iconic Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red poppy installation at the Tower of London, commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. His theatre design credits include Red Velvet (Tricycle Theatre and West End); Love For Love (RSC) and The King's Speech (UK Tour).

Pride and Prejudice is adapted for the stage by Simon Reade. Simon is currently Producer for Filter Theatre, and was previously Artistic Director at the Bristol Old Vic where he directed his own adaptations of Geraldine McCaughrean's Not the End of the World and Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful, which has played in London and on tour extensively.

Further casting is to be announced.

2016/17 UK TOUR

Friday 2 - Saturday 17 September 2016

REGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE

Box Office 0844 826 4242 | openairtheatre.com

Wednesday 21 - Saturday 24 September 2016

BROMLEY Churchill Theatre

Box Office 020 3285 6000 | www.churchilltheatre.co.uk

Tuesday 27 September - Saturday 1 October 2016

NORWICH Theatre Royal

Box Office 01603 63 00 00 | www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

Tuesday 4 - Saturday 8 October 2016

CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange

Box Office 01223 357 851| www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/cornex

Tuesday 11 - Saturday 15 October 2016

SALFORD The Lowry

Box Office 0843 208 6000 | www.thelowry.com

Tuesday 18 - Saturday 22 October 2016

LEICESTER Curve

Box Office 0116 242 3595 | www.curveonline.co.uk

Tuesday 25 - Saturday 29 October 2016

WOKING New Victoria Theatre

Box Office 0844 871 7645 | www.atgtickets.com/new-victoria-theatre

Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 November

TRURO Hall for Cornwall

Box Office 01872 262466 | www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

Tuesday 8 - Saturday 12 November

BIRMINGHAM Rep

Box Office 0121 236 4455 | www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 November 2016

RICHMOND Theatre

Box Office 0844 871 7651 | www.atgtickets.com/richmond

Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 January 2017

BATH Theatre Royal

Box Office 01225 448844 | www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 January 2017

HIGH WYCOMBE Swan

Box Office 01494 512 000 | www.wycombeswan.co.uk

Tuesday 31 January - Saturday 4 February 2017

CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre

Box Office 01227 787787 | www.marlowetheatre.com

Tuesday 14 - Saturday 18 February 2017

NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal

Box Office 08448 11 21 21 | www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Tuesday 21 - Saturday 25 February 2017

CARDIFF Wales Millennium Centre

Box Office 029 2063 6464 | www.wmc.org.uk

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