We were really delighted to find that Dyad was performing Jane Austen's Lady Susan at the Heron Theatre, in Beetham. Delighted for two reasons. Firstly, we love Dyad and have seen pretty much everything they have produced, and secondly, we also love the Heron Theatre.
The theatre is in a small village a couple of miles north of us. It's based in an Eighteenth Century, former school building, and has heaps of character. It's not large, the auditorium seats no more than 80, and this makes the theatrical experience intimate. The theatre is almost always full, as well, which must be excellent for the performers.
The Heron Theatre is a perfect venue for small companies and one man shows.
What a performance! We've seen this adaptation once before, at the Old Laundry in Bowness on Windermere, and loved it. This time I think we enjoyed it more, as did the friends we went with. Dyad is an amazing company, and Rebecca Vaughan played all the parts, in this one man (or woman) adaptation of the novel. Lighting and fabulous acting helped the audience discern when Vaughan changed from Lady Susan to Mrs Catherine Vernon, to her friend Mrs Alicia Johnson. The epistolary form of the novel lends itself very well to adaptation for the stage.
