‘Interesting Challenge!’: Actor Zoe Ioannou on Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

Flipping the script and giving mics to the maids, the classic novel we all know and love gets turned on its head in Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), a comedic, female-focused new adaptation filled with everyone’s favourite karaoke numbers. After winning Best Comedy at the Olivier Awards in London and playing to adoring audiences at the Sydney Opera House, the show is gearing up to show Wollongong audiences Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice like they’ve never seen it before. With performances beginning this week, I chatted to performer Zoe Ioannou (Grease, Hairspray), to learn all about her journey with the show and the rollercoaster ride of bringing it to audiences every night.

Asher: Let’s start with introductions: who are you, what’s the show, and who do you play?

Zoe: My name is Zoe Ioannou, I am playing Flo, who is my main track, and also Mr Darcy and Mrs Bennett. The premise is: we are all the maids of these very famous love stories. The love stories are told through the eyes of the maids for once. We are the unsung heroes, and we get the chance to tell these stories through our eyes for once. So it’s definitely a new perspective on these stories that we know and love.

A: How did you first find out about the show, and was there something that drew you to this role?

Z: Yeah, definitely. I mean, we all love these classics. I saw the brief come out through my agency, the audition brief, and I thought, ‘Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), I wonder what that’s about.’ And when I dived deeper into my research, it’s 5 actors playing about 20 characters all up, and I thought, ‘Hmm, interesting challenge!’ So, yeah, I thought it looked really good, I just thought, what a clever concept, to tell this very famous love story through a contemporary lens.

A: Pride and Prejudice is such a well-known story – there’s been so many adaptations, and everyone’s got their favourite version. What’s yours?

Z: I mean, I can’t go past Colin Firth. I would be lying if I said it was torture to do character research and getting to play Mr Darcy! The [2005] film I grew up with, and loved it from a very young age, so it does hold a very special place in my heart. 

A: What did you draw on to craft your version of these characters?

Z: I definitely went back to the novel. Especially with something so loved, and we have these Austenites, these Jane Austen fans who know it inside-out, back-to-front. But I hadn’t actually read the novel prior to receiving the role, so I had to do some heavy work on the novel and the audiobook, and that’s really where my research began.

A: The show looks ridiculously fun, turning Pride and Prejudice on its head with silly comedy and pop hits. What’s it like for you as a performer, doing that every night?

Z: It is… it is too much fun, if I’m honest! We are having as much fun as the audience, which is a very special experience for us as the actors. The show never stops, because we are the maids, but we’re also playing 20-plus characters, and the story is told through karaoke. So we get on the train at the beginning of the show and we just don’t get off. And if we’re offstage for a second, we’re doing a quick change and coming back on. So, it’s very silly, we’ve got confetti, we’ve got karaoke mics, we’ve got very outrageous costume changes, it’s a lot of fun.

A: How have audiences received Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) so far?

Z: Audiences have been loving it. It’s something that we need at the moment, which is joy and the simplicity of laughter at its core. And it’s been very special to see audiences who love the novel, love the classics, that get to re-experience this, but also new audiences who haven’t seen the movie, haven’t read the novel. It’s definitely something for everyone, and you don’t need to have seen the movie or read the novel to come to the show. We do tell it in its purest form, but Isobel McArthur, our amazing writer… she is so clever in amplifying the humour that is already in the novel, so audiences can expect to have a joyous night out, and you don’t need to have read it to come along.

A: You’ve already touched on this, but who do you think should come and see it, and how are we going to leave the theatre feeling?

Z: Oh, everyone! Everyone needs to come see it. Again, it is so accessible to audiences that know and love the classics, but also those that don’t know a single word from the novel. We do go through to the heart of the novel, but in a very clever way. We amplify the humour that’s already there, and it’s told through a contemporary lens, so it’s definitely accessible to anyone and everyone. Guaranteed, you will walk out feeling so uplifted and so joyous.

A: Is there anything you wanted to add before we wrap up?

Z: I think there’s definitely a soft feminist lens, because we are the maids telling this story. So it’s a very powerful feeling as actors, also, to step into male figures like Mr Darcy, who, you know, I would never get the honour or chance to step into. So it’s very fun to see it from that perspective as well, and the gender norms being reversed so we get to play everyone and everything. So that’s a really fun highlight. And definitely the contemporary lens, the karaoke, makes it more accessible for everyone, and makes the story more digestible. Especially the absurdity of it, we know how absurd it is for women to be sitting and waiting for a man to come along. But the desperation of that time, as we know, especially watching, like, Bridgerton, and all these new regency-era stories coming about. We do really highlight the absurdity of that, and we get to twist it on its head and reclaim that power, as a female getting to play these roles, and tell it our way and how we want to tell it, which is really fun. 

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) plays at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre from the 2nd to 13th of September. Grab your tickets now at merrigong.com.au.