Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of): Jane Austen Gets a Hilarious Musical Makeover in Brisbane

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

Jane Austen's beloved romance has been given a wildly entertaining musical makeover, with the Olivier Award-winning Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) now bringing its irreverent humour, pop music and larger-than-life characters to Brisbane.

The five-star musical comedy sensation opens at the Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre to 18 October 2026. Direct from its acclaimed West End run, the Australian production offers audiences a fresh and energetic interpretation of one of literature's most famous love stories.

Jane Austen Meets Pop Musical Comedy

Written by Isobel McArthur after Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) takes the familiar world of Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Darcy, Jane, Bingley and the Bennet family and turns it into an irreverent musical comedy.

Five performers take on the entire cast of characters, moving rapidly between roles and combining comedy, music and theatrical storytelling. The Brisbane production stars Amy Lehpamer, Zoe Ioannou, Kaori Maeda-Judge, Ruby Shannon and Teo Vergara.

Rather than presenting Austen's story as a traditional period drama, the production uses contemporary humour and pop classics to create a very different theatrical experience.

Pop Classics and Regency Romance

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

Music is central to the show's distinctive style, with familiar songs including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You're So Vain woven into the story.

The result is a collision of Regency romance and modern musical comedy, as love, money, marriage and social expectations become the ingredients for an energetic theatrical romp.

The production has been described by the Daily Telegraph as "smart, laugh out loud funny", while its Australian tour follows a West End season in which it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

Five Performers, Dozens of Characters

One of the show's theatrical attractions is the way its five performers transform into numerous characters.

Amy Lehpamer plays Tillie, Charlotte Lucas, Charles Bingley and Miss Bingley, while Zoe Ioannou takes on Flo, Mrs Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Kaori Maeda-Judge plays Clara, Jane Bennet, George Wickham and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Ruby Shannon portrays Anne, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mr Collins and Mrs Gardiner, while Teo Vergara plays Effie and Elizabeth Bennet.

A Limited Brisbane Season at QPAC

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) plays at the Playhouse at QPAC until 18 October 2026.

Performance times vary throughout the season, with evening and matinee performances scheduled across the week. Tickets are currently listed by QPAC from $69 to $149, plus a transaction fee, with discounts available for selected groups and younger audiences.

The Playhouse is an 850-seat theatre at QPAC, located on the Russell Street side of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and close to South Bank Parklands and South Brisbane Station.

Recommended for audiences aged 14 and over, the production contains coarse language, loud sound effects, strobe and flashing lighting, smoke and haze.

Pride and Prejudice (sort of) Brisbane

Venue: Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Season:  to 18 October 2026
Tickets: From $69, plus transaction fee
Bookings: QPAC / QTIX
Phone: 136 246
Website: https://www.prideandprejudicesortof.com.au/
QPAC: https://www.qpac.com.au/

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