Based on her incomplete novel, this witty play looks under the bonnet of Jane Austen and asks: what can characters do when their author abandons them?

'“The thing is – Jane Austen isn’t just any author; she’s your author.”

Emma Watson is nineteen and new in town. She’s been cut off by her rich aunt and dumped back in the family home. Emma and her sisters must marry, fast. If not, they face poverty, spinsterhood, or worse: an eternity with their boorish brother and his awful wife.

Luckily there are plenty of potential suitors to dance with, from flirtatious Tom Musgrave to castle-owning Lord Osborne, who’s as awkward as he is rich.

So far so familiar. But there’s a problem: Jane Austen didn’t finish the story. Who will write Emma’s happy ending now? Can a new author keep the rebellious characters in check? And just what happens when the writer loses the plot?

£8 Standard

£7.50 Concession

£7 Durham Student Theatre Members

This performance is taking place at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, 40 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3ET.

The performances will start at 7.30pm (2.30pm on the matinee), and last for approximately 135 minutes with a short interval. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the show.