Promise and Promiscuity – the title itself immediately peaked my interest.  Directed by Ben Crowder, this fast paced Jane Austen parody provides a refreshing, revamped take on the well-known period drama Pride and Prejudice.

Touted as a new musical, I must preface that this production is so much more than just an hour of song and dance.  The well-crafted script is decidedly cheeky and dripping with irony – the witty double entendres and cleverly tweaked names (my favorite: “Fifty Shades of Argh”) bring this 19th century story to modern day, making it more easily accessible.

I was thoroughly impressed by Penny Ashton who was the woman of the hour.  She skillfully plays the entire cast, switching between each character seamlessly.  There are very minimal costume changes however this is not an issue as each character she portrays has a very distinct voice and set of mannerisms that there is never any ambiguity who she is depicting and when.

The stage feels quite cavernous with sparse props but Ashton makes full use of the performance space, moving between different locations in the story with ease and at one point she even breaks the Fourth Wall by inviting an unsuspecting audience member for an impromptu dance.  The music and sound effects provided by “Musical Maestro Par Excellence” Robbie Ellis further bring the story to life.

As with all other shows featured in the Auckland Fringe, Promise and Promiscuity is only on a very short season.  The final performance is this evening at 6pm so if you are looking for some laughs to finish your weekend, head on over to TAPAC in Western Springs!

For tickets and more information, click here.

The Whimsical Banana rates Promise and Promiscuity: 4/5 bananas!

Promise and Promiscuity is a Hot Pink production and is presented as part of the Auckland Fringe.