Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel
Show and Tell
Genre: character comedy, Comedy, Costume, Improvised Theatre
Venue: Underbelly Bristo Square - McEwan Hall
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
The improv skills on display were a joy to behold, skittering from scene to scene faster than one could cry ‘capital!’
Review
There are a few shows that could feasibly be classed as Fringe institutions at this point, and Austentatious, the improvised Jane Austen show, would certainly be considered to be one of them. Returning to McEwan Hall for its thirteenth year running, the rotating cast of actors bring an ‘unearthed’ Austen novel to life, based entirely on an audience suggestion. Equipped with a title and some historical costumes of dubious accuracy, the cast then proceed to make an hour of Regency-based drama off of the seat of their pants. And it most certainly is a performance to impress.
This show’s offering was ‘Swipe and Situationship,’ a titillating critique of social couplings driven by the callous games of society. With a range of Austen stereotypes recognisable to any ardent fan, this ensemble featured Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Lauren Shearing, and Charlotte Gittins as the beautiful Bumble sisters, a Miss Annabelle, Isabelle, and Catherine Bumble respectively. Each unlucky in love, yet navigating the tests and trials of the societal season, they balanced a variety of roles with a real sense of glee and quickwittedness.
Likewise, there were also the typical Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy archetypes of our tale, Daniel Nils Roberts as Mr Winslow and Joseph Morpurgo as Mr Harker. Nils Roberts cut a sympathetic figure as Winslow, the love interest for our story – aptly named for his fortunes at the gambling table. Both considered a doormat by his aristocratic peers, and rather into pebbledashed monuments, he towered over the competition (quite literally) and provided a Austen hero to root for.
Morpurgo’s Byronic antihero in Mr Harker was a dexterous performance as the brooding figure with a permanent cigarettte hanging from his lips – with his only excuse for orchestrating said situationship was that he was scared. And last, but by no means least was the fabulous Rachel Parris as Margaret, the woe-begotten maid who got her man in the end. There wasn’t a single weak link in the cast, with an impressive set of comedy chops on display throughout the show, all beautifully soundtracked by Dylan Towney on the keyboard – also flexing his improv talents.
The comedy skills on display were a joy to behold, skittering from scene to scene faster than one could cry ‘capital!’ And with the story changing from night to night, this could easily stand as a fan favourite Fringe event for any period drama fan in the city – no wonder it’s a Fringe staple. All in all, this is an enjoyable romp around Austenland, and ideal as a spot of tea and cream scones on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
