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Experience a new take on Jane Austen’s classic tale of reputation and romance with the Arts Club Theatre’s production of Sense and Sensibility, performing from March 2 to April 2 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.

Left desperate and destitute after the sudden death of their father, the Dashwood sisters of Norland Park have become the talk of 18th-century English society. While rumours swirl surrounding their future and fate, the sensible Elinor (Nyiri Karakas) and sensitive Marianne (Amanda Sum) must navigate passion and prejudice in Kate Hamill’s cheeky adaptation of Austen’s beloved novel.

With witty dialogue and an innovative contemporary flair, Sense and Sensibility asks us to wonder how we follow our hearts when reputation is everything.

Originally programmed for the 2020–2021 season, the Arts Club’s production will be a Canadian premiere, directed by the Arts Club’s Associate Artistic Director, Rachel Peake.

According to Peake, “Hamill takes a story we know and injects a theatrical joyfulness to it that makes it feel both identifiable and fresh. She leans into the playful mischief of Austen’s writing in a way that allows us to enjoy time travelling, but also see the story through a modern lens. It is full of heart and full of comedy!”

Arts Club’s Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran echoed the sentiment, adding, “In originally programming this piece for the 2020–2021 season, I read eight different adaptations of the novel—and fell in love with Hamill’s immediately. She has taken the words from the page and made them ready to leap off the stage with this fresh and feminist adaptation that is deeply, and joyfully, theatrical.”

Sense and Sensibility

Dates: March 2 to April 2, 2023
Times: Tue.–Thu., 7:30 PM; Fri. & Sat., 8 PM, Wed., 1:30 PM; Sat. & Sun., 2 PM
Venue: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tickets: From $35; available online