Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel

A HAT STAND-ING OVATION!

Improv can sometimes be messy and self-indulgent. However, with Austentatious you will not find that by limiting themselves to the world of Austen the performers are able to pay homage and parody our collective consciousness of what we think of when it comes to Austen. A thoroughly good time. Would see again.

This was my first time seeing Austentatious live and I managed to hit an absolute jackpot of a show. Barbie Goes to Pemberley might be my most favourite improv show I've ever seen.
The acting? The references? The plot? Incredible. I still chuckle at the memory of it.

I've been wanting to see Austentatious for years so I was pleased that I was finally able to and that the show wasn't a disappointment! Based on a suggestion from the audience, our improvised novel was 'Baths and Bathtimes' which included characters such as the famous Salt sisters who own a bath product empire, a poor brother and sister who are desperate for social status boosting hats and a creepy guy called the Hat Man who bribes the brother with hats to help him win the affections of one of the Salt sisters. Despite the excellently silly storyline, I felt like they captured Jane Austen's wittiness and the main themes of her novels really well. Overall it was a very fun and enjoyable watch and I'd definitely like to go and see it again since of course the show is different every time!

Saw the show on Mon 7th when the chosen (by audience roar) title was "The Size Of His Estate". This led to an entertaining foray into the dark world of double entendre which went over well with the crowd. Having seen Austentatious before I was delighted by how fresh and original the improvised play was. The performers were clearly having a ball and played off each other well. No scenes dragged on too long and the story was wrapped up very neatly in the time. My one niggle was the presence of the fiddle player, adding "atmosphere" throughout. I don't like the sound of the violin at the best of times and I don't think he added much to the show.

Well, some people thought it was funny. It caused me to smile occasionally. It needs to be a lot louder, we kept missing the ends of sentences.

What a delightful show! Great improv skills from a witty, pretty and funny ensemble cast! If you’re looking for a lovely show to go to, look no further!

The excellent title of Elizabeth Benn(d)et Like Beckham led to an amazing show about football and freedom and ridiculousness. I’m sorry I’ve taken so long to catch the show because it’s ace. It’s exactly the kind of improv I enjoy which doesn’t take itself too seriously (though never at the expense of breaking the show) in which the performers are confident in messing about with each other and all plainly having the very best fun.

One of the sharpest and funniest things I’ve seen over the years. It’s a must see.

Absolutely hilarious!! Actors and characters were all totally brilliant!! A fringe highlight for sure. Would watch again.

Really enjoyed their completely improvised play! The actors are so sharp and talented, and the violist ties the story together. Really good show!

Really enjoyed. Sharp improve + creativity, responsive to each other, entertaining, supportive collaboration. Decent story since there was no preparation ! Drew plot strands together. They knew when to stop a scene + move things on.

Hilarious. These improvisers are incredibly skilled and somehow tell a complete story (albeit absurd) while cracking you up. Underrated is the violinist, who sets the tone for the scene and always pulls the performers back to the period setting. A bit expensive for just an hour, but definitely worth seeing (and seeing again)!