What would my life have been like without Jane Austen?
Jane Austen's novels have brought so much joy into my life and helped me enrich the lives of thousands of others! My stage adaptation of Pride & Prejudice has performed to tens of thousands of people across the UK, and the experience of sitting in a packed auditorium listening to the delighted laughter of audiences across the country, and feeling the hearts of all those present being touched by Jane Austen's beautiful observations and moving love stories - that has been so memorable and life enhancing. When I collaborated on the adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, I wondered if it could match the experience, but thanks to some fantastic performances, especially from Jonathan Cecil as Mr Woodhouse, it was also a wonderful production. Seeing the response to her novels on stage in No. 1 theatres makes you realise just what an outstanding writer she is; her brilliant creation of characters, her exploration of relationships and her witty social observations which still speak to us so powerfully today,
