Campaign image by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy
Pride & Prejudice
By Bloomshed, after Jane Austen
14 May 2026 – 23 May 2026 Merlyn Theatre
A LOVE STORY IN A HOUSING CRISIS
Bloomshed, Malthouse Theatre,
Devised Theatre Adaption Comedy
‘WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHICH ONE HE CHOOSES? WE HAVE A HORDE OF THEM! ANY ONE OF THEM WILL DO!’– Mrs Bennet
In the plush ballrooms of high society, Mrs Bennet sees too well the value of a strategic union. But her five daughters all have ambitions of their own. Jane and Elizabeth want to marry for love (whatever that means). Mary’s stuck in a goth phase, Lydia’s hot for the local militia, and Kitty is... well, we don't need to talk about Kitty. With the cost of living rising, and Mr Bennet played by a potted monstera, how will the Bennet family hold onto their precarious position on the property ladder?
Addressing the concerns of a generation staring down the barrel of intense economic and environmental hardship, Pride and Prejudice questions the function of ‘Love’ in the twenty-first century. As the popularity of period drama soars and dreams of homeownership plummet, does love (and marriage) become a means to an end? Or, in a world where individuals are defined by their asset portfolio, is love our collective salvation? In this searing satire on polite society, Bloomshed attempts to deliver the rom com’s most prized outcome: the happy ever after.
Cast
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Acknowledgements
PRIDE & PREJUDICE was originally presented through the Darebin Arts Speakeasy program.