Austen Found: The Undiscovered Musicals of Jane Austen

Addicted to Darcy? Lost all Sense and Sensibility? Bonkers for Big Balls? Well put down your cross-stitching and join Auckland’s leading improv troupe, ConArtists, (including Hot Pink Penny Ashton) as they swoon, romp, and pianoforte their way through an entirely improvised Austenian Musical. Charming suitors, meddlesome mothers, tight breeches and surprisingly well educated girls will all paint a vivid picture in song, dance and passionate hand holding.

And even more excitingly, all parts in this Regency Romp will be played by the sort of person Austen celebrated most ….women. Four of New Zealand’s most experienced female improvisers will relish every role, be it an odious suitor, a bumbling vicar or a sea-faring captain, and show that Mr James Brown was quite incorrect…It is a Woman’s World.

Bringing the Bennetts to life will be veteran performer Lori Dungey, world famous Hobbit and one of the founding players of Theatresports in New Zealand. Lori performs all over the World and has represented both New Zealand and Canada in international tournaments including the World Cup of Theatresports in Germany in 2006 and was victorious in the Improvaganza Masters of the Universe Tournament in Edmonton in 2003.

“Hot Pink” Penny Ashton is a comedienne and actor and has performed both Improv and her solo comedy shows (Hot Pink Bits, Busty Rhymes, Hot Pink Does Vegas) from Edmonton to Edinburgh to New York. She too represented NZ at the World Cup in 2006 and at the Improvaganza in 2003 and is a three times Adelaide People’s Choice Award nominee.

Stayci Taylor is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne and has trained with Phillipe Gaulier in London and Paris. She has travelled extensively throughout NZ and the world with improv and is a writer of the Qantas TV Award winning Korero Mai series, she is also thrilled to be back at the Adelaide Fringe after last appearing with the 5 Star show of The Rhonda Movement in 1994.

Lucy Schmidt graduated from the New Zealand Drama School in 1992. Highlights in her nineteen year career include improvising with the "Vancouver Theatresports League", "The Improvisors", "Those Chicks Who Do Improv" and "ConArtists", playing a politician on NZ television, a sheep at Circa Theatre, Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire", a teenage dominatrix, a monkey, a rugby player, an angel ... She also appeared in The Pledge with Jack Nicolson, directed by Sean Penn. Her next role is as a larger than life princess in "The Legend of The Seeker".

Pianoforte virtuoso Robbie Ellis studied at the University of Auckland School of Music, and has worked in a wide range of theatre, from Greek tragedy to stand-up comedy via late Romantic opera and French absurdism. He is an award-winning composer, broadcaster and multi-instrumentalist. As an improv musician he has played in Melbourne and Rotterdam, and with companies around New Zealand.

“The entire cast did a magnificent job of capturing the essence of Jane Austen's style in their parody without offending ardent fans or losing the enthusiasm of strangers to the genre.” Theatreview, May 2009

"Swept into the fantastically fictional improvised world of “Greed & Generosity”, Jane Austen’s once-lost-but-now-found musical extravaganza, I was particularly impressed..." The Lumiere Reader, May 2009

“Now why didn’t I think of that!” Jane Austen, May 1809

Event listed by Penny Ashton

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