Amazingly there has never been a gay panto of Pride & Prejudice … until now.
Strictly that’s not true. This is the second outing of Kennington’s White Bear’s Christmas offering Pride & Prejudice -The Gay Panto.
The pub theatre, nestled neatly between the gay meccas of Clapham and Vauxhall, is staging this panto for the second time after a sell-out run before the pandemic in 2019.
This latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s most famous novel will bring tears to the eyes of fans of Bridgerton and classic adaptations including the 1995 BBC version that made Colin Firth a household name; the 2004 Bollywood Bride & Prejudice and the even more bizarre Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
For writer Kevin Quinn it was a no brainer – the 1813 novel is, he says, packed solid with innuendo and characters that can so easily be adapted for a queer-loving audience that he did not have to divert from the original text.
“It is not simply a case of making Lizzy and Darcy a same sex couple, that would be too obvious, so I have not done that,” he told the News.
“Austen was a master at commenting on the absurdity of social norms and manners at a time when bawdy scenes and high-campery were the order of the day; the William Hogarth factor. Although he died some 50 years before the publication of Pride & Prejudice, his paintings and prints, which bashed his countrymen for lewdness, stupidity and sanctimony of Georgian society, resulting in them simply, asking for more. And Austen is from this generation; a woman of her time but with a story that has stood the test of time. Pride & Prejudice is fun, it’s moving and it’s perfect panto; and gay panto at that,” he said.
However, do not be fooled into expecting a high-brow evening of theatre, this offering from the 46-year-old Bermondsey-born editor of the Southwark News promises classic gay anthems and, wait for it, massive cocks.
His original script has been significantly redeveloped from 2019 to include even more scandalous characters, classic tunes including ‘It’s A Sin’, ‘Raining Men’ and Bassey’s legendary anthem ‘I am what I am’.
The blurb on the White Bear’s website says it all …. think slapstick, think cock fights, cross dressing sisters and a hunk in trunks!
Gay Panto is now the mainstay for the festive period, but this is perhaps the only one that moves away from the likes of Cinderella and Mother Goose to the word of literary classics.
“It’s not a case of re-creating or distorting the story, so that it becomes something else completely. Panto is quintessentially British humour, and Jane Austen epitomises that, she is on the ten pound note for Christ’s sake!
“It’s a celebration of that. It’s a celebration of classic British humour, of queerness and the delicious world of the Bennets.
“It is a celebration of how far we have come and we don’t need to be giving a political message or to be preaching at the audience. We are simply what we are.
“I loved the fact that more than half the audience last time were Austenites,” Kevin said, “and they loved it, even though I thought they would be my harshest critics. It’s Christmas, so let’s have some fun.”
Obviously written for an adult audience, the night promises to be a laugh for Austen lovers as much as those wanting a gay panto extravaganza.
Running for twelve days, fourteen performances between December 8 to December 23, people are advised to book early, as the theatre above the now trendy White Bear pub on Kennington Park Road, opposite the tube station, has a small capacity.
It is definitely an evening that would be enjoyed with friends and, of course, a drink.
‘Pride & Prejudice – the Gay Panto’
December 8 – 23
Weds-Fri / 7:30pm / Sat 2:30pm and 7:30pm / Sun 5:30pm
£18 / £15 concessions
