Review: PLIED & PREJUDICE, The Vaults

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in Regency England must be in want of a very stiff drink.”

After a sellout run in Australia, Plied & Prejudice, written by Matthew Semple and directed by Dash Kruck, is ready to booze it up in London, taking the classic Jane Austen work and turning it into a comedy in which five actors desperately try to get through the story with a few modern twists. The show is strictly adults only, with content warnings including drugs and alcohol, inappropriate jokes, loud music and the “Wettest of Wet T-Shirt Contests” - it would be enough to have Lady Catherine de Bourgh fainting from shock!

The setup of the show as a whole is a bit strange. Before entering the main part of the venue, audience members wait in the “Pemberley Pleasure Gardens,” where they can purchase drinks - including themed cocktails like The Wickham Whirl and Pemberley Punch - and take photos at several locations, including an “Only Fans” corner and a spot lighted specifically for photos that bears the title of the show. There are two talented musicians (Olivia Warren and Antonia Richards) playing string versions of pop songs, which was made popular by the television series Bridgerton, as well as two performers named in the programme as “Plied Pipers” (Alexia Brinsley and Zak Enayat) commenting on the outfits of guests and singing along to the music - Enayat’s commentary was a particular highlight. 

After about thirty minutes, the audience is invited to walk through a “hedge maze” into the main section of the venue, where they are led to their seats/benches depending on the colour of the wrist band they were given at the entrance. I’d recommend ensuring that you are at the front of the queue as that way you are able to pick the best seats and you won’t have to worry about being separated from your party. Still want to drink during the show? Don’t worry, this is Plied & Prejudice - audience members can scan QR codes and have drinks delivered to their seats by one of the many servers making their way around the venue.

If you haven’t read the novel or watched an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, I would highly recommend at least reading a summary of the work so you are able to follow along with what is happening - this is a short show, so there’s lots of skipping around! There are also moments that are pulled directly from different adaptations like the iconic hand flex from the 2005 film and a wet shirt contest inspired by the lake scene in the BBC 1995 television series. 

Five actors are playing twenty different characters - as you might expect, this leads to plenty of chaos! In the digital programme, the performers are not tied to named characters, instead being called either “Femme” or “Masc.”

Brigitte Freeme is a lovely Lizzie Bennet and mostly stays in that one character. Mr Darcy is played by Tim Walker, who also plays the three youngest Bennet sisters in an absolutely hilarious manner (no spoilers!). It’s fun to see Monique Sallé switch between the demure Jane Bennet and the extravagant Caroline Bingley, especially during scenes in which the two are meant to be in the same room. And poor Andrew Macmillan is almost constantly switching between characters including “golden retriever energy” Mr Bingley, a tired Mr Bennet, a swaggering George Wickham and a truly disgusting Mr Collins! Along with playing characters, each of the actors takes a turn as the narrator, usually summing up some of the lengthier parts of the novel to move the plot forward.

Designer Penny Challen has created a fascinating aesthetic, with the costumes almost looking like they have been pulled out of a comic book with their bright and gaudy looks, as if they were hand-drawn. As I was sitting on one of the aisles, I was right next to the action as actors frantically switched costumes - at one point I even assisted one of them in buckling up some straps on the back of their dress!

The website says the show is 120 minutes, but this isn’t actually true, as the “preshow” and “party” afterwards simply consist of standing around and drinking with a little bit of live music and the occasional commentary from one of the “Plied Pipers” or “Rovers.” The show itself is ninety minutes, which is a reasonable amount of time for a comedy show like this one.  

While I understand the benefits of having a show go viral on social media, especially TikTok, it is incredibly frustrating to have people around you basically watching the show through their phones, sometimes even with the flash on! And, as one might expect with drinking, there was a bit of chaos - I heard several glasses smashing during the show, as well as a few annoying hecklers wanting to be involved. 

The venue also does not have a coat check, which is a major problem when audience members are sat closely next to one another with little space for bags. The site tells audience members to not bring bulky items, but it is difficult to not do so when one is coming from work. There are also only two cubicles available - more toilets should have been considered, especially for a show so heavily focused on drinking! 

Plied & Prejudice is an alcohol-fuelled night of comedy that is definitely a fun night out but struggles a bit to find itself in its current venue. A little more interaction balanced with audience supervision would go a long way in improving the atmosphere of the show. 

Plied & Prejudice runs until 18 July at The Vaults.

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