Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel

Austentatious returns to the Grand Opera House York on Saturday 5 September, with the West End comedy back in the city after its previous run. The premise is as simple as it sounds: the cast improvises a brand-new Jane Austen novel from start to finish, and the whole thing is based on a title suggested by the audience on the night. So, whatever the crowd comes up with, that's the story they have to build around it.

It's not just a few sketches, either. The cast works through a full plot, and since the title changes every night, no two shows are ever the same. They perform in period costume with live musical accompaniment, which helps set the scene while they make it up as they go. The cast comes from the West End, the Edinburgh Fringe, sell-out tours and Radio 4, so there's a fair bit of professional improv experience on stage.

If you're wondering how it works in practice, the audience suggests a title, and the performers take it from there, improvising the characters, the dialogue and the plot in the style of Austen. The live music runs alongside, and the period dress keeps it grounded in the Regency era. Because it's all made up on the spot, the night you see is the only version of that particular story that'll ever exist.

The performance runs for about one hour and fifty minutes, and it's recommended for ages 14 and over, so it's more of an evening out for adults and older teens than a family matinee. It's at the Grand Opera House on 5 September.