An Austentatious Christmas

Though not – ahem – universally acknowledged by academics, the forgotten works of Jane Austen have been causing mild cases of hysteria across the country of late, and for good reason. Who could forget the swooping prose of Tents and Tent Stability, or the swimsuit scene in Man-Filled Park Pride? Unfortunately, even a masterpiece such as Pride and Predator was long overlooked as Austen's more genteel counterparts took precedence. Thankfully, this literary injustice came to an end thanks to the cast of Austentatious – the comedy troupe dedicated to showcasing even the least-known of Austen's diverse works.

Actor, writer, comedian and literature enthusiast Cariad Lloyd talked us through the group's maiden days: "We weren't being particularly savvy. We all just liked Jane Austen. We'd all like to be in a Jane Austen adaptation, and that hadn't happened yet, so it was sort of like living out that fantasy."

Improvised Austen

Of course, these hour-long regency romps are anything but canon. Believe it or not, Fear and Loathing in West Hampshire isn't a classic work from one of Britain's most celebrated writers, but was instead made up on the spot by this group. Taking nothing but a suggested title from the audience, the seven Austentatious players spin out a comedic play in the key of Austen, with everything – from the witty repartee of a pair of sparring lovers to the derogatory wails of a wronged matriarch – completely improvised.

"We started improvising in that language and in that world, and it became obvious that it really suited it. It's very dialogue-driven, character-driven, and plot-driven. Dickens is a lot of description and atmosphere, but Jane is more about great characters driving a great narrative, with an incredible way of speaking. That's also partly why there have been so many Jane Austen TV adaptations."

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More from Comedy:

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Austentatious first brought their whirlwind comedy to the Counting House in 2012, when fortunate Austenophiles could watch them on the Free Fringe. They have since become a Fringe institution, this year packing out Underbelly. They now make a special trip back north for an Edinburgh Christmas to perform another forgotten classic for the festive season.

With literary witticism and strong characterisation, Austentatious reach a wide audience. Even those who haven't read Northanger Abbey will probably have seen one of umpteen TV adaptations or spoofs, and Austen's characters and convoluted romantic plots have more than made their way into the mainstream. "Lots of people know that world," says Lloyd, "it's not like doing improvised John Steinbeck. It's a very accessible world. Some people love Jane Austen, others just love the comedy, others just love the improv."

Strictly Come Darcy

"If you're playing a strong woman who wants to marry for love, you don't have to be playing Lizzie Bennet. You're playing a version of that, which people recognise because it's such a great character. If you're playing that in a show called Strictly Come Darcy, and it culminates with you having to do a dance routine with Mr Darcy to prove that you're worthy, people still recognise the woman who has to realise she's been too proud."

Austentatious have earned more stars and accolades than you can shake a lacy fan at. Furthermore, each show is a one-night-only treat, so though you won't see crime thriller Double-0 Darcy again, or the tantalising Fifty Shades of Jane, we can guarantee an excellent night, stellar comedy and more than a few dashing gentlemen.

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Austentatious play St Andrew's Square, Edinburgh, Fri 27 Nov, 9:30pm, £18

edinburghschristmas.com/whats-on/austentatious-an-improvised-jane-austen-novel