An Insider’s View
It’s official! The Jane Austen Festival in Bath will be an annual event.
Following the successful launch of the Festival on the 200th anniversay of
the Austens moving into 4, Sydney Place, the go-ahead has been officially
given for next year event – and this time the festival will be over a week
long! Saturday September 21 – Sunday 29th are the proposed dates.
Mellow autumn weather gave us a fitting backdrop to the events of last
weekend – all those leaves floating over Queen Square in “desolate
tranquillity” provided the “apt analogy” for “Persuasion” star Amada Root,
who came to answer audience questions after a special screening of the 1995
adaptation. I was fortunate enough to meet Amanda at the centre in the
afternoon and I was struck by her genuine charm and modesty. It’s not
surprising that in many people’s minds, she is Anne Elliot – or even Jane
Austen herself, though this is stretching a point, knowing Jane’s own
insistence that Anne was far too good for her creator!
On the Saturday,warm sunshine and peacock skies brought many out to the
Bus Tours round Beechen Cliff and up to the Assembly Rooms to trace the
footsteps of Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney. At the Jane Austen Centre,
we were too busy with a final rehearsal of “Poppy and Porage” to get to the
opening of 4, Sydney Place. Anyway, it was a sell-out, for many people have
expressed an interest in actually being within the four walls that housed
Jane for three years. However, the actual rooms are at present interesting
only as a future shrine in the making. The property is privately owned and
sub-let as rooms – and is full of that indefinable atmosphere that someone
has recently left!
Later in the afternoon, I climbed up to Jane Tapley’s beautiful
Regency house on Upper Camden Place for her talk on Georgian Bath, followed
by actress Kim Hicks’ superb readings from Jane’s works. In the intimate
setting of Jane’s drawing room overlooking the city, a select audience were
filmed by The South Bank Show for a programme destined for next February on
the continuing importance of the novel. A very civilised and enjoyable way to
spend Saturday teatime.
Next came Phoenix Theatre’s production of “Pride and Prejudice” in the
BRSLI building overlooking Queen Square. This, too, was very well attended
and John Dunne’s unusual take – giving the familiar story from the viewpoint
of Mr and Mrs Bennet – was refreshingly different.
After the Georgian Sunday Lunch, it was time for the premiere of my
own play, “Poppy and Porage in the Labyrinth”. Commissioned specifically for
the festival, I wrote it in August – cast it by August 21st – and directed
it in September! Hard work, yes, but I was proud to think that only eight
weeks ago, neither “hard-boiled” feminist Poppy or claret-swilling bluff
Porage even existed – and here were my colleague Judith Lacey and local
Am-Dram king, Ken Miller, impersonating my creations to the life! My Woman
in Black, Elizabeth Gibson gave a truly chilling performance as the heckler
in the audience. Her correct profile by the window onto Gay Street
uncannily echoed that silhouette of Cassandra on the wall in the lecture
room at the centre.
Her role was to make a case for privacy and propriety
while leading the purient academics deeper into the labyrinth. The sell-out
audience paid us the compliment of listening intently and laughing at the
jokes, particularly to the references to the dumbing-down of biography via
the popular “biopic” films. After all our efforts, the four of us intend to
take it further – to groups out there studying either JA or the nature of
biography. It takes just under an hour and needs minimum space and props.
Any takers?
Speaking personally, the festival offered this struggling writer a
timely distraction from tragic events over which she had control. In
troubled times, the Wise Woman, we are told, gets on with her life as
normal. Either the world is going to end or the world is not going to end.
If not, she will look foolish if she stops work. If it does end, then she
will look as if she has been lazy with her talents!
No-one who has been directly concerned with this Festival can be accused
of being lazy. Our hope and confidence is restored by planning for the
future here in Bath.
Sue Le Blond lives in Bradford-on-Avon and works part-time at the Jane Austen Centre as a guide. She is a freelance writer, creative writing teacher and theatre reviewer. Her play, “Poppy and Porage in the Labyrinth”, was performed at the Jane Austen Festival on Sunday 30th September. Sue welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email via
sue@le-blond.freeserve.co.uk.
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