Lighthouse Poole will host a new stage adaptation of Emma this autumn as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of Jane Austen’s birth.
Running from Monday 10 to Saturday 15 November, the production brings Austen’s much-loved comedy of manners to the stage in a fresh version by writer Ryan Craig, whose recent adaptation of 1984 appeared at Lighthouse last year.
The story centres on the clever but self-assured Emma Woodhouse, who insists she will never marry but delights in managing the romantic lives of others. Her confidence grows after successfully introducing her former governess to her husband, but complications arise as she becomes further entangled in the love lives of her friends.
Set against the backdrop of Regency-era Bath and Weymouth, the play features iconic characters including Mr Knightley, Harriet Smith, the Eltons, and Jane Fairfax.
India Shaw-Smith stars as Emma. Her previous credits include Vanity Fair (ITV), Andor (Disney), and Spartacus: The House of Ashur (STARZ). William Chubb, whose stage career spans the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe, plays Mr Woodhouse.
The cast also includes Ed Sayer as George Knightley, Maiya Louise Thapar as Harriet Smith, and Oscar Batterham as Philip Elton, among others.