Afternoon Tea with Jane Austen - FRINGE XX

Afternoon Tea with Jane Austen @ Association Portuguaise Venue #7. By Orange Wine Productions - Montreal. Fans of Jane Austen, be on the alert! This is your chance to check your knowledge about the spirit behind such beloved stories like: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility. With a promise to gain some insight into the famous author the play started out really well with Jane asking questions and interacting with the audience. Tali Brady has created a great character with an impeccably accurate accent. Unfortunately what brings the play down is the lack of direction; the blocking (staging) is very stiff and does not come any further than some basic minimal pacing including the grabbing of papers and books and sipping a cup of tea. I would like to have seen more movement integrated and would have loved to have seen much more dancing at the ball. Alas, Jane Austin remains a mystery. 2 cents. Sylvester

AFTERNOON TEA WITH JANE AUSTEN, Portuguesse Association Venue #7. Remember when you had to talk in front of the class in high school about your favorite author's life, dressed like him or her and with props? That's what the play feels like, but this student deserves an A+. I didn't read Jane Austen's novels but I've seen the screen adaptations and I was hoping to feel drawn into that universe here, and I got my wish. However, if you're not interested in Jane Austen, then it's not a show that'll win you over, but if you want to learn about her, it's a great way to do so. 3 cents. TinTin