Pride & Prejudice
In Three Acts
By Jane Austen
Adaptation by Naomi Eaton
SIXTEEN SETS:
1)Act 1: Scene 1, 4,and scene 11, and ACT 2, scene 9, scene 11, and Act 3, scene 5, 6,7 , 9
In the Drawing Room at Longbourn,
2)Act 1: Scene 2
At the Meryton HALL assembly: People dancing
3)Act 1: Scene 3, and 7, and 10
At the breakfast table at Longbourn.
4)Act 1: Scene 5, and 6
At Netherfield, in the drawing room:
5)Act 1: Scene 8
The Miss Bennet’s are walking through MerytonVillage.
6)Act 1: Scene 9
The Netherfield Ball Room: extravagantand much more decorated than the Meryton assembly.
7)Act 2: Scene 1
We see Mrs. Collins sitting in the Hunsford Drawing (but let’s make it the parlour!) room.
8)Act 2: Scene 2
At Rosings. The house is grand, but it is cold and uninviting.
9)Act 2: Scene 3
Dining room at Rosings.
10)Act 2: Scene 4
In the grand drawing room at Rosings.
11)Act 2: Scene 5, and scene 7, and Act 3, scene 4
In the parlour at the Collins’ Hunsford house.
12)Act 2: Scene 6, and scene 8
Elizabeth is walking in the Collins’ Garden,
13)Act 2: Scene 10, Act 3 scene 7
The Garden near Bennet’s Longbourn:
14)Act 3: Scene 1
GRAND Front entrance to Darcy’s Pemberley:
15)Act 3: Scene 2
Drawing room at Pemberley
16)Act 3: Scene 9
Mr. Bennet’s Library:
Thirty Speaking Roles (arranged by relationship):
1)Mr.Benett (mild, educated, jovial)
2)Mrs. Bennet (irritable, flustered, controlling)
3)Jane at 22 (beautiful, reserved, kindly, good)
4)Elizabeth at 20 (attractive, intelligent, mature(s))
5)Mary (plainest, book-worm, pedantic, conceited)
6)Kitty at 16 (vacuous, irritable)
7)Lydia at 15 (flirtatious, naive, headstrong, reckless)
8)Mrs Hill (their unctuous servant, quite involved in family)
9)Mr. Gardiner (Uncle to Elizabeth)
10)Mrs. Gardiner (Aunt to Elizabeth)
11)Charlotte Lucas (friend to Elizabeth. Marries Mr.Collins))
12)Maria Lucas (Charlotte’s sister)
13)Lady Lucas (Charlotte’s mother)
14)Sir William Lucas (father)
15)Mr. Darcy at 28 (for Elizabeth)tall and handsome and intelligent and diffident
16)Georgiana Darcy at 16 (Mr.Darcy’s sister) plays piano
17)Mrs Reynolds (servant to Darcy at Pemberley Manor)
18)Mr. Wickham at 27 (for Lydia) dashing, charming, conniving, dishonourable
19)Denny (for Kitty) harmless, friendly
20)Mr. Bingley at 24 (for Jane) handsome, agreeable, shy
21)Caroline Bingley at 22(sister to Mr. Bingley, but snooty, wants Darcy)
22)Louisa Hurst at 22 (friend to Caroline, also snooty)
23)Mr. Hurst of Netherfield
24)Mrs. Gossip Hurst
25)Netherfield servant
26)Rev. Collins at 30 (for Charlotte)narrow-minded, sycophantic, flattering)
27)Lady Catherine de Bourgh!
28)Miss Anne de Bourgh (Lady Catherine’s daughter)
29)Mrs Jenkins (attendant to Lady Catherine and Anne)
30)Colonel Fitzwilliam (jovial friend, counterpart to Lady Catherine)
31)Lords
32)and boys
33)Ladies
34)and girls
Act 1: Scene 1
In the Drawing Room at Longbourn, Mr. Bennet sitting in his chair reading a book, Mrs. Bennet rushes in.
Mrs. Bennet: My dear Mr. Bennet, have you heard that NetherfieldPark is let at last?
Mr. Bennet: I have not.
Mrs. Bennet: Well, do you not want to know who has taken it!?
Mr. Bennet: I know you wish to tell me, so I doubt I have any choice in the matter.
Mrs. Bennet: My dear, you must know. Netherfield has been taken by a young man of four or five thousand a year.
Mr. Bennet: What is his name?
Mrs. Bennet: Bingley.
Mr. Bennet: Is he married or single?
Mrs. Bennet: Single of course! What a fine thing for our girls!
Mr. Bennet: How can that affect them?
Mrs. Bennet: Mr. Bennet, how can you be so tiresome. You know that he must marry one of them!
Mr. Bennet: Is that his intention of settling here?
Mrs. Bennet: How can you talk such nonsense! You must go and visit him!
Mr. Bennet: I see no purpose in visiting Mr. Bingley, though you and the girls may go if you wish.
Mrs. Bennet: But my dear you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not. You quite delight in troubling me, Mr. Bennet, and take no compassion on my poor nerves.
Mr. Bennet: You are mistaken my dear. I have the highest respect for your nerves. For they have been my constant companion these past twenty years.
Mrs. Bennet: You do not know what I suffer.
Mr. Bennet: I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year, come to our neighbourhood.
Mrs. Bennet: It would not matter; if twenty came you would not visit any of them.
Jane and Elizabeth walk calmly into the room, Elizabeth carrying book, Jane carrying needlepoint. Mary comes in reading a book. Kitty and Lydia bounce in, gossiping and playing with ribbons. Mary sits alone. Kitty and Lydia sit also, fiddling with ribbons and gossiping. Jane sits by Elizabeth and begins needlepoint, occasionally reprimanding Lydia and Kitty.
Mr. Bennet: I hope Mr. Bingley likes silly women, because this house seems to be full of them.
Mrs. Bennet: We shall never know what Mr. Bingley likes, since we are not to visit him.
Elizabeth: Do not forget Mamma, we are to meet Mr. Bingley at the Assemblies, and Mrs. Long has promised to introduce us.
Mrs. Bennet: Ah! And the assembly is tomorrow fortnight and Mrs. Long will not be back till the day after, so it is not possible for her to introduce him to us, for she shall not know him.
Mr. Bennet: Then, my dear, you shall have the advantage and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.
Mrs. Bennet: Nonsense, nonsense!
Mr. Bennet: What say you Mary? For you are a young lady of deep intellect I know, and have read many a great books. Do not you agree with me?
Mary pauses, trying to think of something intellectual to say, but can’t.
Mr. Bennet: While Mary gathers her thoughts, let us return to Mr. Bingley.
Mrs. Bennet: I am sick of Mr. Bingley!
Mr. Bennet: I am sorry to hear that, for I would not have called on him earlier this morning.
A great pause, with an air of astonishment from the ladies, followed by cries of joy and excitement. With many “thank you papa’s”.
Mrs. Bennet: I knew I could persuade you at last! I was sure you loved your girls too well to ignore such a man. What an excellent father you have girls!
All around laughter and cries of joy and happiness.
Act 1: Scene 2
At the Meryton assembly: People dancing and conversing. Enter Mr. Bingley, His sisters Caroline and Louisa and Louisa’s husband Mr. Hurst. Last to enter is Mr. Darcy; he gives an air of superiority and controls the entire room. Whispers circulate the room.
Mrs. Gossip: I hear his fortune consists of ten thousand a year and he owns half of Derbyshire!
Lady Lucas: Is that so?
Mrs. Bennet: Indeed it is. Do you not find him the most handsome man in the world?
Lady Lucas: Yes I dare say. I must introduce my daughter to him.
Sir William Lucas leads them through crowd, introducing them. Bingley greets everyone with a warm friendly manner. Caroline and Louisa answer a little more coldly. Mr. Hurst grunts. But Mr. Darcy gives very cold, insincere bows, and hardly speaks to anyone at all. Sir William gathers his daughter and the Bennets for an audience with Mr. Bingley and his party.
Sir William Lucas: Mr. Bingley, my daughter Charlotte you know? May I introduce Mrs. Bennet, Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Mary, Miss Catherine, Miss Lydia, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Each one bows to one another.
Mrs. Bennet: How very nice to meet you.
Sir William Lucas: And may I introduce to you Mr. Darcy of Pemberley, in Derbyshire.
Bows again. Mr. Darcy, Caroline, Louisa and Mr. Hurst move away.
Mr. Bingley: Might I inquire as to a dance with Miss Jane Bennet?
Mrs. Bennet: Of course! Jane would love to! Answering before Jane can.
Jane: I would be delighted. Places her hand in Mr. Bingley’s (Instant love between Bingley and Jane)
(A quick dance) Elizabeth sits down and converses with friends for she was not asked to dance. Jane bows to her partner then disperses, Bingley moves towards Darcy.
Mr. Bingley: Come Darcy, I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had better much dance.
Mr. Darcy: I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it.
Mr. Bingley: I would not be so picky; I have never met so many pleasant girls in all my life.
Mr. Darcy: You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room.
Looks towards Jane.
Mr. Bingley: Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld! But her sister sitting over there is also very pretty.
Mr. Darcy: Which do you mean?
Looks toward Elizabeth, catches her eye, then withdraws his glance coldly
Mr. Darcy: She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles instead of wasting your time with me.
Bingley bows and walks away back to Jane. Elizabeth coldly passes by Mr. Darcy. He feels it. She goes and finds Charlotte. She whispers to her about what Darcy had just said.
Charlotte: He is such a proud man.
Elizabeth: I could have easily forgiven his pride, had he not wounded mine.
Charlotte: Poor Eliza! To be only tolerable. Count it a blessing though, if he liked you, you would have had to dance with him.
Elizabeth: I can safely assure you that I never intend to be liked by him then.
They laugh together, and then Elizabeth goes to find Jane. They go off into each other’s confidence away from the dancing to talk.
Elizabeth: How are you enjoying your night with Mr. Bingley?
Jane: He is just what a young man ought to be. Sensible, lively, good humoured….
Elizabeth: And also very handsome, which a young man ought to be likewise. His character is thereby complete.
Jane: I was very much flattered when he asked me to dance. I did not expect such a compliment.
Elizabeth: Well, you should have. You are very agreeable as he is, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.
Jane: Lizzy!
They giggle together.
Mrs. Bennet: -and Mr. Bingley danced two dances with Jane, how delightful!
Mr. Bennet: If he had any compassion for me, he would have sprained his ankle in the first dance.
The Bennet’s leave.
Caroline: I can guess the subject of your thoughts.
Mr. Darcy: I should imagine not.
Caroline: You are considering how unbearable it would be to pass many evenings in this manner.
Mr. Darcy: You are completely wrong, I assure you. My mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been thinking about a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman.
Miss Bingley fixes her eyes on Mr. Darcy’s face, hoping that it is her ‘fine eyes’ he speaks of.
Caroline: And which lady has the credit of inspiring such reflections?
Mr. Darcy: Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Turns and walks away.
Act 1: Scene 3
At the breakfast table at Longbourn. Kitty and Lydia bounce in talking about officers and the militia. Mrs. Hill (maidservant) attending.
Lydia: Oh! Did Captain Carter not look completely handsome in his red coat yesterday!
Kitty: Yes! But he could never be as handsome as Bingley with his five thousand a year!
Lydia: Captain Carter is so agreeable; I do hope that I see him today, for he is leaving for London tomorrow.
Mr. Bennet: From all that I can collect by your gossiping, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country.
Mrs. Bennet: I am surprised my dear, that you should think your own children silly.
Mr. Bennet: If my children are silly I must hope to always think so.
Mrs. Bennet: Yes, but as it happens, they are all very clever.
Mr. Bennet: I must differ from you on this point and think that our two youngest daughters are uncommonly foolish.
Mrs. Bennet is prevented of saying anything by the entrance of a servant.
Mrs. Hill: Excuse me, a letter for Miss Bennet from Netherfield, Ma’am.
She hands the letter to Jane. Mrs. Bennet is sparkling with pleasure.
Mrs. Bennet: Well Jane, who is it from? Tell us quickly my love!
Jane: It is from Miss Bingley. She is inviting me to dine with her this evening; the gentlemen will be dining with the officers.
Mrs. Bennet: Dining out, that is very unlucky.
Jane: Can I have the carriage?
Mrs. Bennet: No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, for it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay the night.
Jane: I would much rather go in the coach.
Mrs. Bennet: Jane the carriage is presently engaged, now you shall have to go on horseback.
Mrs. Bennet leads Jane to the door and bids her farewell.
[Sounds of rain and thunder are heard soon afterwards.]
Mr. Bennet: This was a very lucky idea of mine, indeed!
[MUSICAL interlude] Curtains close.
Act 1: Scene 4
At Longbourn in the drawing room. Mrs. Bennet is congratulating herself. A servant interrupts her with a letter from Jane to Elizabeth.
Mrs. Hill: Miss Elizabeth, a letter for you from Netherfield.
Mrs. Bennet: Ah! It must be Jane telling us of her engagement to Bingley!
Elizabeth: Mamma it has only been a day. Elizabeth reads the letter aloud. “My kind friends will not hear of me returning home. Except a sore throat and a head-ache there is not much the matter with me.” This is ridiculous.
Mr. Bennet: Well, my dear, if your daughter should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley.
Mrs. Bennet: Oh! I am not afraid of her dying. People do not die of colds.
Elizabeth: But they may perish with the shame of having such a mother
Giggling from the younger girls.
Elizabeth: I must go and see her at once.
Mrs. Bennet: But the carriage is not to be had.
Elizabeth: Then I shall walk.
Mrs. Bennet: How can you be so silly to think of such a thing, in all this dirt! You will not be fit to be seen.
Elizabeth: I will be fit to see Jane, which is all I want.
Mary: I admire the activity of your benevolence, but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.
Mary is ignored.
Kitty: We will go as far as Meryton with you.
Lydia: If we make haste, perhaps we may see something of Captain Carter before he goes.
Lydia rushes them out the door.
Act 1: Scene 5
Darcy, Mr. Hurst, Caroline and Louisa are assembled in the Netherfield drawing room. Servant shows Elizabeth in
Netherfield Servant: A Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Sir.
She walks in, her hair tousled, mud on her skirt, and her face bright with exercise. They all give looks of shock at her.
Elizabeth: I am here to see Jane.
Mr. Darcy: She’s upstairs.
Elizabeth: Thank you.
Curtsies then leave the room. The servant leads her out.
Caroline: She looked positively wild.
Louisa: She did indeed, Caroline. Her hair so untidy, so blowsy!
Caroline: Yes, and did you see her petticoat. Six inches deep in mud!
Louisa: To walk three miles, ankles deep in mud and alone too. What could she mean by it?
Mr. Bingley: It shows affection for her sister, which is very pleasing.
Caroline: I am afraid, Mr. Darcy, that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes.
Mr. Darcy: Not at all, they were brightened by the exercise.
Elizabeth enters the room. Chatter stops suddenly.
Caroline: How is your sister, dear Eliza?
Elizabeth: I am afraid she is no better.
Mr. Bingley: Then you must stay till she is better; I shall send a servant to Longbourn for your things.
Elizabeth: That is very kind of you sir.
He calls a servant. Writes a quick note, and then sends it away.
Mr. Hurst: Bingley, Caroline, Louisa with you indulge me in a game of cards?
Bingley and Louisa oblige. Caroline refuses. Darcy is writing business letters. Caroline starts pacing the room, trying to capture Darcy’s attention. Elizabeth is reading a book.
Caroline: You write uncommonly fast Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy: You are mistaken, I write rather slowly.
Caroline: So many letters you must write! Letters of business too! How unpleasant I should think them.
Mr. Darcy: It is fortunate that they fall to me instead of you.
Pause of silence.
Caroline: Is Miss Darcy grown much since the spring, will she be as tall as I am?
Mr. Darcy: She is about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s height now.
Caroline: Do tell your sister I long to see her. And that I am quite delighted with her beautiful little design for a table.
Mr. Darcy: Will you allow me to defer your amusements till I write again? At present I do not have the room to do them justice.
Mr. Bingley: It amazes me so how all young ladies can have the patience to be so accomplished.
Caroline: What do you mean Charles?
Mr. Bingley: They all paint tables, embroider cushions, and play the piano. I have never heard of a young lady, but people say she is accomplished.