Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Geraldine James | ... |
Jane Austen
(voice)
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Michael Judd | ... |
Pastor
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Julia Dearden | ... | ||
Gerry O'Brien | ... | ||
Felicity Jones | ... | ||
David Brittain | ... |
Gothic Villain
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Patrick Ryan | ... |
Gothic Villain
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Sylvestra Le Touzel | ... | ||
Desmond Barrit | ... | ||
David Sheehan | ... |
Cheeky Man
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William Beck | ... | ||
Liam McMahon | ... |
Sedley
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Mal Whyte | ... |
Rude Man
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JJ Feild | ... |
Henry Tilney
(as J J Feild)
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Myles Breen | ... |
When Catherine Morland is given the opportunity to stay with the childless Allen family in Bath, she is hoping for an adventure of the type she has been reading in novels. Soon introduced to society, she meets Isabella Thorpe and her brother John, a good friend of her own brother, James. She also meets Henry Tilney, a handsome young man from a good family and his sister, Eleanor. Invited to visit the Tilney estate, Northanger Abbey, she has thoughts of romance but soon learns that status, class and money are all equally important when it comes to matters of the heart. Written by garykmcd
Having suffered through Persuasion and Mansfield Park I was expecting very little from this production, particularly as the tongue-in-cheek humour in the novel is missed by so many readers. However, Andrew Davies pulled it off (again) mainly by introducing some over-the-top Gothic scenes into the narrative, which helped to set the tone, and padding out some of the minor characters - particularly Thorpe, who was truly repulsive. JJ Field was an amazingly attractive Tilney with his gentle mocking of Catherine and his twinkly eyes. Felicity Jones carried Catherine's wide-eyed innocence and trusting naivety off a treat and I really felt her distress at upsetting Tilney - a nice twist by Andrew Davies which would have made JA proud.