Pride & Prejudice Education Resource

Education resources offer insights and connections into selected Queensland Theatre productions through a curriculum and learning lens and promote the transformative power of live performance for young people.

Spanning creation, rehearsal and performance phases and bringing Cast and Creatives from rehearsal rooms directly into classrooms through digital media we share innovative, industry led theatre practice to inspire classroom pedagogy and learning.

For more information on the Pride & Prejudice Education resources, please contact Johanna Searles (Education Producer) on 07 3010 7633 or jsearles@queenslandtheatre.com.au.

Table of Contents

• ONE TEAM ONE DREAM: A PHOTOGRAPHIC FEATURE ON 21^ST CENTURY SKILLS
• THE CREATIVE PROCESS
• CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
• THE REGENCY RITUAL OF COURTING: CAPTURED THROUGH REGENCY ARTWORK
• FEATURE ARTICLE: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN REGENCY SOCIETY – GENDER EXPECTATIONS IN PRIDE & PREJUDICE
• A FEMALE POV: THE GIRL SQUAD
• INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH DESIGNER, CHRISTINA SMITH
• SET DESIGN PROCESS: INSIGHTS AND IMAGERY BY DESIGNER, CHRISTINA SMITH
• HIGH STAKES FASHION: REGENCY DRESS CODE
• Unit 3: CHALLENGE – Theatre of Social Comment (Satire)
• DEEPER ANALYSIS: POST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONS
• UNIT 3: CHALLENGE – Theatre of Social Comment (Satire) DRAMATIC CONCEPT

ONE TEAM ONE DREAM: A PHOTOGRAPHIC FEATURE ON 21st CENTURY SKILLS

Meet the Cast and Creatives of Queensland Theatre’s Pride & Prejudice in rehearsal, demonstrating 21^st Century skills inherent in the creative process of theatre making and embedded in curriculum: creative thinking, collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking, communication and personal and social skills.

Pride & Prejudice Cast & Creatives in Rehearsal Room 1 at Queensland Theatre
Photograph by Morgan Roberts

Photo 1 - Co-Director Bridget Boyle
Photo 2 - Co-Director Daniel Evans (Artistic Director, Queensland Theatre)
Photo 3 - Elizabeth Bennet Maddison Burridge
Photo 4 - Fitzwilliam Darcy Esq Andrew Hearle
Photography by Morgan Roberts

Photo 1 - Lydia Bennet / Ensemble Courtney Cavallaro
Photo 2 - Charlotte / Ms Bingley / Ensemble Amy Ingram (pictured left), Fitzwilliam Darcy Esq Andrew Hearle (pictured centre), Mary Bennet / Mrs Gardiner / Mrs Hirst / Ensemble Chenoa Deemal (pictured right)
Photo 3 - Mr Collins / Ensemble Cameron Hurry (pictured left) and Kitty Bennet / Ensemble Daphne Chen (pictured right)
Photo 4 - Wickham / Colonel Fitzwilliam / Mr Gardiner / Ensemble Jeremiah Wray (pictured in foreground), Mr Collins / Ensemble Cameron Harry and Jane Bennet / Ensemble Perry Mooney (pictured in background)
Photography by Morgan Roberts

Photo 1: Intimacy Coordinator, Choreographer and Movement Director Nerida Matthaei (pictured left) and Mr Bennet / Sir William Lucas / Ensemble Bryan Probets (pictured right)
Photo 2: Composer and Sound Designer Guy Webster (pictured in foreground), Co-Director Daniel Evans and Stage Manager Maddison Penglis (pictured in background)
Photo 3: Jane Bennet / Ensemble Perry Mooney (pictured left) and Mr Bingley / Ensemble (pictured right) William Carseldine with Co-Director Bridget Boyle
Photo 4: Jane Bennet / Ensemble Perry Mooney (pictured left) and Mrs Bennet / Lady Catherine / Housekeeper / Ensemble Gael Ballantyne (pictured right)
Photography by Morgan Roberts

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Get a glimpse of what to expect from this Bridgerton-esque reimagining of literature’s original love story. Join the Cast and Creatives of Pride & Prejudice in the below sneak peek into the rehearsal room as they delve into the creative process behind this iconic romantic comedy.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

"This is the world of Austen, meeting the world of '25. What you are seeing across this whole show is a mash up. Choreography is really important to this work. The movement has got beautiful nods to classic Regency moments, but a real contemporary sparkle."

Bridget Boyle and Daniel Evans, Co-Directors, Pride & Prejudice

Pride & Prejudice is perfect for Drama, Dance, English and Music students, with a significant focus on Drama General senior syllabus 2025 Unit 3: CHALLENGE – Theatre of Social Comment (Satire).

Queensland Theatre’s sumptuous theatrical adaptation speaks directly to Drama curriculum: Purpose & Context, Forms, Styles & Conventions, Elements of Drama and Themes, Ideas & Concepts.

• Drama General senior syllabus 2025 - Unit 3: CHALLENGE – Theatre of Social Comment (Satire).
• Drama in Practice – Unit Option A: Collaboration; Unit Option C: Contemporary; Unit Option D: Commentary.
• ACiQ V.9 The Arts Years 7-8 and 9-10 Band (Drama) - Exploring and responding, Developing practices and skills.
• English General senior syllabus and English as an Additional Language General senior syllabus. The novel Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen remains on the prescribed text list in 2025 and 2026 as an External Assessment text.
• Additionally: Dance, Music, Fashion.

PURPOSE & CONTEXT

Jane Austen (1775-1817) who wrote the novel Pride and Prejudice was a pioneer in fiction, breaking new ground in subject and style, with her legacy forming the blueprint in the Western canon for emotionally intelligent characters and social behaviour minutely observed (Kathryn Sutherland, Austen House 2024).

Wendy Mocke and Lewis Treston, Co-Adaptors of Queensland Theatre's adapation of Pride & Prejudice, have individually gathered several significant national awards for their work, and as Queenslanders their artistry and collaboration with the state theatre company is deeply valued.

Together with Co-Directors Bridget Boyle and Daniel Evans, and Dramaturg Saffron Benner, they have curated a theatrical offering showcasing the best of Austen’s novel of Pride & Prejudice. They have sharpened the female point-of-view and, in doing so, honed the audiences’ awareness of persisting historic inequalities in a new theatrical offering. This work is not intended to replace the original, but instead, enhance and expand contemporary audiences’ appreciation of a work. (Pride & Prejudice Cultural Safety Plan, prepared by Ari Palani in association with Katrina Irawati-Graham).

FORMS, STYLES AND CONVENTIONS

AUSTENIAN - of or relating to Jane Austen noted for realism and biting social commentary during the Regency era (c. 1795-1837). It can also refer to the characteristics of her work – comic wit, irony, realism, social behaviour minutely observed and the emotional and moral development of a thoughtful heroine.

For further research please see the article by Professor Kathryn Sutherland Why Jane Austen's Novels Matter | Jane Austen's House

COMEDY OF MANNERS - social satire exploring upper-class society and marriage dynamics, characterised by sharp wit, clever dialogue and stock characters.

ROMANTIC COMEDY - classic tropes of romance, enemies to lovers, classic meet cutes.

CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE - hybrid work that integrates text, intertextuality, hypertextuality, physical theatre / dance, visual theatre, non-linear form (in Pride & Prejudice in the use of letters, phantasms and hallucinations), objects, music, costumes, lighting, image, sound, sets, and vocal expression into complex interactive systems.

THEMES, IDEAS & CONCEPTS

The following Themes, Ideas & Concepts are explored in Pride & Prejudice:

• Female focussed story of romance and family
• Love, and its power to positively change people
• The societal construct of marriage
• The deception of appearances
• Flaws and the human condition
• Persisting patriarchal influences on property, class and societal standing
• Visibility - being seen for who you truly are and being met as an equal
• Self-determination, agency and independence for women
• Womanhood, and the transition from Girlhood
• Kindness
• Heroism, and Heroes
• Compromise
• Desiring Everything

THE REGENCY RITURAL OF COURTING: CAPTURED THROUGH REGENCY ARTWORK

From the dizzying excitement that comes with the social season’s inaugural ball, to anticipating visits from a bevvy of suitors, to the power of a well-written love letter, Pride & Prejudice depicts the ritual of courting in the Regency era (c. 1795-1837).

In Regency times, it was often in what was implied rather than what was said that spoke volumes, in addition to non-verbal communication and social codes of behaviour. This was a delicate dance defined by clear phases and time-honoured protocols that once governed the pursuit of love (and an advantageous match). See these expressed on canvas by a suite of Regency era artists:

REFLECT on the rules and rituals of Regency courtship as depicted in this series of artworks: how were these communicated through the dramatic languages in Pride & Prejudice? Consider the use of non-verbal communication during the Regency era such as gesture, body language, dance and movement, distance and proxemics, as well as facial expression.

Women did not have substantial rights in the Regency period – which Pride & Prejudice depicts. At the same time, Pride & Prejudice showcases women acting independently despite the societal norms for women. Elizabeth Bennet rejecting Mr Collins’ proposal to her is one of the greatest examples in the novel of a woman defying her prescribed standards.

FEATURE ARTICLE: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN REGENCY SOCIETY - GENDER EXPECTIONS IN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Online Article: The Role of Women in Regency Society: Gender Expectations in "Pride and Prejudice" - ClassicLiterature.info

INTRODUCTION:

Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice offers a captivating portrayal of Regency-era England and provides valuable insights into the role of women in a society governed by rigid gender expectations. Set against the backdrop of the early 19th century, the novel explores the limitations, challenges, and societal pressures faced by women of different social classes. This essay aims to examine the gender expectations imposed on women in Regency society as depicted in Pride and Prejudice delving into the characters’ experiences, their agency, and the ways in which they navigate the constraints of their time.

THE CULT OF DOMESTICITY:

In Regency society, women were predominantly confined to the private sphere, their roles primarily centred around marriage, motherhood, and domestic duties. The prevailing ideology of the time, often referred to as the “cult of domesticity,” idealized women as virtuous, pious, and morally superior beings, emphasizing their roles as wives and mothers.

Pride and Prejudice reflects the societal expectations placed on women through its portrayal of characters like Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the Bennet sisters, epitomizes the desperation to secure advantageous marriages for her daughters. Her primary concern is their social and financial well-being, reinforcing the notion that a woman’s worth and security were closely tied to her marital status.

MARRIAGE AS A MEANS OF SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT:

The novel explores the theme of marriage as a means of social advancement for women. In a society where a woman’s economic prospects were limited, marriage served as a crucial avenue for upward mobility and social recognition. Characters like Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins exemplify the pragmatic approach to marriage prevalent at the time. Charlotte’s decision to accept Mr. Collins’s proposal, despite lacking romantic feelings for him, highlights the limited options available to women and the compromises they often had to make.

Elizabeth Bennet, on the other hand, challenges societal expectations by refusing several advantageous proposals, prioritizing love and personal compatibility over financial security. Her determination to marry for genuine affection rather than social advancement defies the conventional norms of the time and showcases her independent spirit.

THE LIMITED AGENCY OF WOMEN:

Despite Austen’s depiction of strong-willed female characters like Elizabeth, the novel also underscores the limited agency women had within the patriarchal society. The Bennet sisters, for instance, are dependent on their father for their financial security and future prospects. In the absence of a male heir, their estate is entailed away, leaving them vulnerable to the whims of their male relatives and the pressures of finding suitable husbands.

The societal expectations of women are further reinforced by the character of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. As a member of the aristocracy, she embodies the sense of entitlement and authority that came with her social standing. Her condescending attitude towards Elizabeth and her attempts to control her choices highlight the power dynamics that existed within the gender hierarchy.

EDUCATION AND INTELLECTURAL PURSUITS:

Another aspect explored in the novel is the limited access to education and intellectual pursuits for women. Women were expected to be well-mannered and skilled in order to attract suitable husbands.

Elizabeth Bennet stands out as a character who values intellectual pursuits and independent thinking. Her love for reading and her wit challenge the notion that women were solely meant to be decorative objects. Elizabeth’s sharp intellect and articulate expressions set her apart and contribute to her appeal as a protagonist who defies the restrictions placed upon her.

SUBVERSION AND AGENCY:

Despite the societal constraints, Austen subtly highlights moments of subversion and agency among her female characters. Elizabeth’s refusal to conform to societal expectations and her outspoken nature reveal her resistance to the limitations placed upon women. She speaks her mind, challenges the arrogance of male characters, and defends her own principles, even in the face of societal disapproval.

Jane Bennet, Elizabeth’s sister, embodies the idealized woman of the time with her gentle nature and quiet demeanour. However, even she demonstrates moments of agency by refusing to marry Mr. Bingley when he initially abandons her. Her resilience and dignity in the face of heartbreak underscore her strength as a character.

CONCLUSION:

Pride and Prejudice provides a nuanced exploration of the role of women in Regency society, shedding light on the expectations, limitations, and agency of women during that era. Austen’s female characters navigate the strict gender expectations placed upon them, offering glimpses of resilience, intelligence, and independent thought. While the novel reflects the realities of a patriarchal society, it also showcases moments of subversion and challenges to the prevailing gender norms.

Through the experiences of characters like Elizabeth and Jane Bennet, Austen invites readers to consider the complexities of gender roles, societal expectations, and the ways in which women navigated and negotiated their place in a society defined by rigid gender expectations. Pride and Prejudice remains a timeless exploration of the challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society, resonating with contemporary audiences and serving as a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of gender equality.

A FEMALE POV: THE GIRL SQUAD

Queensland Theatre’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice reimagines Austen’s original novel with a strengthened female point-of-view, showcasing interracial romance and desire, and persisting patriarchal influences on property, class and societal standing. (Pride & Prejudice Cultural Safety Plan, prepared by Ari Palani in association with Katrina Irawati-Graham).

Leading The Girl Squad is Elizabeth Bennet, Pride & Prejudice’s protagonist, hero and key social commentator.

REFLECT: How has the Pride & Prejudice creative team sharpened the female point-of-view and in doing so, honed the audiences’ awareness of persisting historic inequalities in this new theatrical offering?

INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH DESIGNER, CHRISTINA SMITH

Can you please discuss your pathway/journey into the industry – how did you get here?

I had always loved art, textiles and reading, but it was a school excursion that sealed my fate. I recall sitting in wonder as the legendary actor John Bell conjured a storm as Prospero in The Tempest with a bucket of water and a staff. The power of that simple gesture and the way it activated the audience’s imagination was the moment I knew I wanted to make theatre.

How would you describe your individual creative process?

There is little about the design process – save for perhaps the long, lonely hours of drawing up a design of this scale – that is individual. Design for live theatre is a collaborative artform, and all the creativity is born from the conversations I have with the rest of my team. This is primarily with the directors and other designers of the show, but also extends to creative conversations I have daily with the artisans who make the sets, props and costumes.

What does collaboration look like for a set and costume designer? What has been the distinctive collaborative approach on PRIDE & PREJUDICE ie. the script and design developing at the same time?

One of the joys of this job is that my process changes with every production I am involved in. Different people and circumstances create different ways of working, whether through serendipity or necessity. In this process, the design and script developed at the same time which is not that common in theatre of this scale. Usually I would have a script – or at least a draft of it - that instigates and informs the design process, but in this instance we began at the same time. It was quite liberating, as the design spoke to larger ideas rather than specific needs. It also drove the design into a solution that was as malleable and responsive to changes in the text as possible. For example, the premise for the costumes is that every actor has a base costume, with changes being added simply over the top with one or two elements rather than complete costume changes.

Please discuss the design process in PRIDE & PREJUDICE and the key ideas that you are working with i.e. nature and the seasons; Elizabeth’s world and perspective? How will these be represented onstage in the set and costume design? i.e. broader and more elemental representation, texture and materiality, use of scale, map

It was important that the design be through Elizabeth’s eyes, and the base materials reflect her love of nature – the simple wooden stage surrounded by rambling greenery. As Lizzie’s world and possibilities expand, the set opens up to reveal a world beyond which is more psychological and impressionistic than literal.

What advice would you give to a budding set and costume designer, and why do you think it’s important for young people to design for theatre?

I would recommend seeing as much theatre as possible – big theatre, small theatre and everything in between. You must love it as it can be hard work and challenging to break into the industry. This being said, it can also be completely joyous. More than once during this process I walked through the costume workroom or the scenery workshop and thought how absolutely blessed I am to be able to do this kind of work.

It is so important for young people to design for theatre because the artform is always contemporary. The act of theatre that occurs between the performer and the audience happens in the moment, in the NOW. It needs to be energetic and urgent which is what our youth bring!

SET DESIGN PROCESS: INSIGHTS AND IMAGERY BY DESIGNER, CHRISTINA SMITH

Early Ideas

I usually head into the model box fairly early in my process, but I often do some early scribbling to work through ideas. We didn't end up going down this path, but you can see the seed of what the design ended up as...

Sketch / White Model

At the preliminary design stage I submit a 'white' model, which takes its name from the unpainted tin card that is normally used - though they do not need to be white!

This model isn't finished, but is accurate to scale so the design proposal can be costed.

Set Renderings

These renderings were done at the preliminary design stage to convey the intentions of the design including colour and texture.

Final Model

Image 1: Model in construction - I also made the offstage stairs that aren't seen, as they are important to understand the available space backstage.
Image 2: Detail of the laser cutting on the model.

HIGH STAKES FASHION: REGENCY DRESS CODE

How do you dress like a Jane Austen character you ask? To answer all of your Regency fashion questions look no further than to the sumptuous splendour of the Pride & Prejudice costumes created by Designer, Christina Smith.

Get a glimpse into Queensland Theatre’s Wardrobe and the creation process for the Pride & Prejudice costumes.

Costume Renderings

Explore the Queensland Theatre Wardrobe Department

REFLECT: What does Regency fashion reveal about the societal construct of the roles of women and men in this historic era?

What do you note about use of colour, texture and detailing in the costumes and how does this contribute to the storytelling in Pride & Prejudice?

For further reading on tricks of the Regency Fashion trade look to BBC One - My Friend Jane - How to dress like a Jane Austen character

Drama General Senior Syllabus 2025 - UNIT 3: CHALLENGE – Theatre of Social Comment (Satire)

How can we use drama to challenge our understanding of humanity?

In Unit 3, students explore how drama can be used to challenge our understanding of humanity over time. Students investigate dramatic styles that are united by social commentary, and that question their world and advocate change. Students explore how dramatic form can be used to express philosophical and political viewpoints in action in society.

In this unit, students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills required to make and respond to dramatic works that aspire to voice the difficult questions of human conscience and challenge our understanding of humanity in a complex and ever-changing world.

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

• How can the provocation presented in Queensland Theatre’s theatrical adaptation of Pride & Prejudice educate and challenge a contemporary audience to question society at this time: ‘How much has changed between then and now?’ in relation to the persisting inequality of gender, class, property and desire. How can this production empower us to advocate for change?
  

• How can we shape the dramatic languages to communicate and challenge an understanding of humanity at this time? How have the Pride & Prejudice creative team elevated the female voice even further in this theatrical adaptation – that of Elizabeth Bennet’s and of her sisters, as well as their friend, Charlotte?

• How can we make and respond to dramatic works to explore challenges and demands of the human experience? How has a cast of diverse bodies expanded a celebrated ‘universal’ fiction that has historically been reserved for predominantly White actors?

DEEPER ANALYSIS: PRIDE & PREJUDICE POST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONS

1. Amidst the glittering swirl of regency balls, gossip and the hypocrisy of 19th century England, what do you believe is the key message of Queensland Theatre’s theatrical adaptation of Pride & Prejudice?
   
2. What does the production communicate to us as an audience about the role, status and opportunities for women in Regency England?
   
3. How does this adaptation reimagine Jane Austen’s social commentary through lenses of womanhood, diversity and the persisting inequality of gender, class, property and desire to challenge a contemporary audience to consider: have things really changed for women? Consider the adaptation’s strengthened female POV, showcasing interracial romance and desire, and persisting patriarchal influences on property, class and societal standing.
   
4. Elizabeth Bennet is the production’s protagonist and the hero of the story. Identify how Elizabeth’s worldview is foregrounded in the production through the scenic design and the disruption of hyper-realism. Consider nature and the seasons, texture and materiality and the use of scale.
   
5. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the greatest romance stories ever written. In this production, identify how dramatic elements such as tension, time, place, relationship, language, movement and others are manipulated by the actors in their performances to heighten iconic romantic moments in the story such as The Proposal for a contemporary audience.
   
6. In the production, political viewpoints are realised through the form of Satire distinctive to the style of Comedy of Manners and the exploitation of its conventions. It comments on Victorian society’s obsession with ‘manners’, meaning - social status and appearances and satirises the behaviour of a specific social group, most often the upper classes to reveal hypocrisy, shallowness and gossip.
   
   In Pride & Prejudice commentary is focussed on the societal construct of marriage and its relationship to gender and class,
   
   How is the form of Satire and the conventions of Comedy of Manners manipulated in the production with consideration to the human context: role, relationships and situation, as well as language, dialogue and wit to make social comment and present a political viewpoint?
   
7. How do the language choices in the Pride & Prejudice theatrical adaption, that is Regency period language and contemporary language, assist in a contemporary audience’s connection to this story?
   
8. How is dance used to tell a story in this theatrical adaptation of Pride & Prejudice? What is the overall impact of the fusion of historic (Regency) and contemporary styles of dance in the production, and how does it challenge our understanding of humanity in a complex and ever-changing world?
   
9. Consider how music selection and sound design is from Elizabeth Bennet’s perspective in the production and contributes to the view of Elizabeth as a contemporary hero.
   
   Reflect on how music and sound has been composed/designed to create mood/atmosphere as well as time and place.
   
10. Identify key items of Regency period attire that are represented through costume or props in the production. How do these design choices enhance the communication of the key message/s within this theatrical adaptation of Pride & Prejudice?
    
11. How is lighting design and effects used to create and enhance mood/atmosphere and focus in the production?

UNIT 3: CHALLENGE – Theatre of Social Comment (Satire) DRAMATIC CONCEPT - Internal Assessment 2 Task

Working as a devisor to create an original dramatic concept of a theatrical work that expresses a social comment in response to Queensland Theatre’s production of Pride & Prejudice, adapted by Wendy Mocke and Lewis Treston and co-directed by Bridget Boyle and Daniel Evans.

(adapted from QCAA Drama 2025 v.1.2 General Senior Syllabus)