The actors in Questors Theatre’s production of Emma are braving the changeable British summer time as the Ealing community theatre hosts its first outdoor production.
The production, which is based on Doon Mackichan and Martin Millar’s quirky reimagining of the classic Jane Austen novel, is being staged outside Pitzhanger Manor in Walpole Park from 20-28 June.
Questors Theatre is one of the largest community theatres in Europe, but this is the first time they have staged an outdoor production, which is not without its challenges, particularly in the midst of the UK’s heatwave.
Questors executive director Michael Eppy said: “Yesterday, it was very, very hot, today it was a little bit of a battle with wind.
“I think there was some props that went flying, but everyone dealt with it really well.”
The show is one of a number of outreach initiatives following the announcement of Questors as the lead organisation for Ealing’s Cultural Education Partnership, working to enhance the cultural education of young people in the borough.
Eppy said: “There’s a lot of us trying to make sure that every young person in the borough has access to a cultural education.
“I’m looking around and I’m seeing new faces that I don’t see at Questors’ regular productions, so it’s really, really great for us.”
The show on 22 June saw hats and papers flying, and microphones battling with the wind, but that didn’t stop it from pulling a strong crowd, with over 1,000 people expected to attend over the course of the run.
The show itself is fun-filled and well-acted, the play sticking quite faithfully to the original material of the Austen novel, whilst injecting new life into it through Mariah Carey musical interludes and comedic character switches by the actors.
The audience seemed to have a lovely time, with some of them even turning up in regency dress for the occasion.
Bea Penton, a 20-year-old Austen and regency dress fan from Norwich, said: “It was very fun, very faithful actually to the book.”
Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery formed the perfect backdrop to the play, where much of the action centres around the titular character’s stately home of Hartfield.
The manor, which was previously the country home of architect Sir John Soane and was conserved and opened to the public in 2019, is also conveniently located only a stone’s throw from Questors Theatre.
Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery’s head of public programmes Richard Parry said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting Emma in our gardens.
“It’s a joy to see a timeless classic brought to life in the historic setting of Pitzhanger Manor.”
Nikoleta Stefanova, the set designer for the production, even referenced the manor’s architecture in her design, matching the colour of the columns on stage to the bricks in the façade.
She also employed a paint effect used inside of the manor to create the flooring for the stage, a historically fashionable technique in which resin paint is used to evoke the image of marble.
Questors will also be streaming a live captioned version of the performance for those who are deaf and hard of hearing on Thursday 26 June, as part of the theatre’s initiative to caption all of their in-house productions.
The show will be running in Walpole Park until 28 June.
All pictures: Beccy Bollard and Robert Vass.
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