Improvising Jane Austen

This year marks Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, and Austenesque is celebrating with a unique improvised Austen-inspired play, in which we will recognise Jane Austen's remarkable contribution to literature and culture.

Step back into drawing rooms filled with scheming relatives, elegant suitors, and the strains of the pianoforte inviting guests to the dance floor. In gardens and on promenades, whispered conversations conceal deeper passions, while a country dance or lively reel can set hearts racing. In honour of Austen’s genius, our players conjure a tale that could have sprung from her pen—rich in wit, misunderstanding, music, and laughter.

Inspired by the brilliance of Pride and Prejudice, the wit of Emma, and the triumphs of Sense and Sensibility, Austenesque invites all to a one-night celebration. Toast Austen’s legacy with music, movement, and wholly improvised drama—an event as fleeting as a ballroom waltz, and as memorable as a grand romance.

Join the fête—but do secure your seat posthaste, for this special evening of wit, music, and romance will not come again!

Under 18s can attend with a parent or guardian.