Austentatious

Austentatious is a long-form improvised comedy show, in the style of a Jane Austen novel, where each show is improvised by a six-strong cast, based on a title suggested by a member of the audience

Austentatious
Medium
Years active2011–
Genres
Members
Websiteaustentatiousimpro.com

Begun in 2011[1] in London, the original cast members took the show to the Edinburgh Festival Free Fringe in the summer of 2012.

Following their initial success, they began performing a monthly show in London, transferring to the West End in 2017, and have since performed on BBC Radio 4, on tour, and at the Edinburgh Fringe

Performances

Each show is performed as an hour long self contained comedy play in the style of Jane Austen novel, with six cast members improvising the story, accompanied by live music. Audience members are asked to write down the title in the style of Jane Austen, such as Bath to the Future, Mansfield Shark or Strictly Come Darcy.

A title is selected at random from the submissions, and is then improvised by the cast. The cast members perform in Regency costume using tropes associated with Austen's work, other works of the period, and modern adaptations. The title is likely to influence the story, so Strictly Come Darcy may feature ballroom dancing in the plot

History

Origin

Four of the original six members of the cast, Cooke-Hodgson, Morpurgo, Murray & Parris had been members of The Oxford Imps whilst studying in Oxford and wanted to explore long-form improvised comedy. Parris & Cooke-Hodgson originated the idea of a Jane Austen themed show, and together with fellow improvisers Lloyd & Dickson, then began performing Austentatious together[1]

Early Success

After initial performances in London in 2011, the original cast performed the show at the 2012 Free Fringe, receiving positive reviews and sell-out crowds

Following this success they continued to perform across the UK, adding Roberts and Gittins to the cast. They began a regular monthly show in London, initially at the Leicester Square Theatre and have returned to the Edinburgh Fringe annually, selling out the show every year from 2014-2018

In 2014 the show won the Chortle Award for Best Character, Improv or Sketch Act,[2]

West End Transfer

They transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre for a West End run in 2017, and have since performed in a number of West End venues, adding Shearing to the cast, most recently the Fortune Theatre from March 2020. They have performed two 30-minute shows on BBC Radio 4 and currently perform in McEwan Hall, the largest space at the festival, during the Fringe

Cast

The cast currently comprises nine members, with six performing at a time

References
  1. Fane Saunders, Tristram (November 2017). "The Beatles of Comedy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  2. "Chortle Awards 2014: Best character, improv or sketch group: Austentatious" – via www.youtube.com.
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