An Evening With Jane Austen at Godmersham Park

After a splendid autumn bringing our show, An Evening with Jane Austen, to audiences at Bath, Stamford and Kenwood House, there is one stop remaining on our mini-tour of the south.

With a cast headed by Adrian Lukis, better known to some as the roguish Mr Wickham, An Evening with Jane Austen will call at stunning Godmersham Park on 29th October. Godmersham was once the home of Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Knight, and is closed to the public, so this event is a unique opportunity to see inside the house.

Our show at Godmersham will mark the launch of the new £10 note featuring Miss Austen, and we are thrilled to return to Godmersham with a brand new production for 2017!

An Evening with Jane Austen offers audiences the opportunity to spend a magical evening in the company of Jane’s most memorable characters!

Performing duologues and readings from across Jane’s works, Caroline Langrishe (Lovejoy) and Adrian Lukis (Pride and Prejudice) bring her timeless writing effortlessly to life. These respected performers are accompanied by musicians whose interpretations of regency-era music give audiences a glimpse into the evocative sounds of Jane’s own household.

I will provide an introduction to the glittering Regency era in which Jane’s works are set, a time when fashion and society ruled supreme!

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18 comments

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  1. How exciting!! I wish I could attend, but California is a long way away! Enjoy!!!! 😀

    1. We’re working on bringing the show over the Atlantic – cross fingers!

    • Ginna on October 9, 2017 at 2:14 pm
    • Reply

    Catherine, I hope you’ll be able to educate this American. I find that the British pronounce things unexpectedly differently than we do here in the U.S. (I’m thinking along the lines of how ‘Fetherstonhaugh’ is pronounced ‘Fanshaw’.) THus, I’m expecting that Godmersham is pronounced as “Joshbill” or “Gillysmack”. Can you please tell me how one is supposed to say it?

    1. I’m afraid the answer to this one isn’t half as entertaining as you might be hoping. Godmersham is pronounced (almost) as it’s written, to whit, “Godmershum”.

        • Ginna on October 9, 2017 at 5:45 pm
        • Reply

        That IS disappointing, in a way. Thought for sure that it couldn’t be that straight -forward. Which syllable is the accent on? God or mer?

        1. It’s on “God”.

          I love the subtle pronunciation differences in English place names. My grandparents lived in the hamlet of “Lower Blidworth”, except only a non-local would have said that. Anyone that knew the area would (and still does), call it Bliderth Bottoms. Likewise the neighbouring villages of Blidworth and Rainworth are, to locals, “Bliderth and Renerth”.

          I live in Yorkshire now, a few miles from the village of Slaithwaite. Non-locals call it “Slaythwait”, whereas locals plump for “Slathwait” or “Slowwit” (“ow” sound as in “allow”).

            • Ginna on October 9, 2017 at 6:17 pm
            • Reply

            Ya know, a Bliderth sounds like something a proctologist ought to remove. (It seems especially so when you combine it with the ‘Bottoms’!)

            The ‘Slowwit’ is the sort of thing I was initially thinking about. You’re missing some consonants in there, and I don’t understand how that happens. Unless you’re going to say how people slur things over time. But if that were the case, wouldn’t it just be ‘Ssssss’ by this point?

            1. I think, sometimes, it’s down to the fabulous Yorkshire accent too.

        2. Our other major Austen property here in Kent is Goodnestone Park, from whence Edward’s wife Elizabeth hailed. That one obligingly has a mispronunciation for you, being said as Gunston Park!

            • Ginna on November 30, 2017 at 10:06 am
            • Reply

            That’s the sort of thing I was expecting.
            We actually have a Gunston Hall here, but it’s spelled just like it sounds.

    • Ginna on October 9, 2017 at 6:22 pm
    • Reply

    Sadly, I would not be able to identify that. 🙁

    1. Here’s a lovely little video of a classic Yorkshire old boy paying tribute to his (and my) team. This is 100% pure Yorkshire.

        • Ginna on October 9, 2017 at 6:49 pm
        • Reply

        Ok, then! I suppose it’s like American southern, which I am fluent in speaking. If you don’t understand it, it can be like a foreign language. (see video above!) If I were visiting, I’d need you there to translate. 😉

        1. You’d soon get the hang of it!

    • denise on October 9, 2017 at 9:56 pm
    • Reply

    that was amazing!

    1. A little Yorkshire goodness!

    • Sheila L. Majczan on October 13, 2017 at 9:43 am
    • Reply

    I enjoyed the clip with Aidan. Thanks for sharing.

    1. A pleasure!

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