The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley

Synopsis

"In this delightful companion play to Miss Bennet, Gunderson and Melcon once again bring Austen’s beloved characters to the stage for a yuletide sequel to Pride and Prejudice. While Miss Bennet depicted the newly wed Darcys’ Christmas gathering on the ground floor of Pemberley, THE WICKHAMS takes audiences to the downstairs servants’ quarters for that same celebration. Mrs. Reynolds, a no-nonsense housekeeper; Cassie, an eager new maid; and Brian, a lovesick footman, are bustling with preparations for holiday guests. But their work is interrupted by the midnight arrival of the definitely not invited Mr. Wickham—Lydia’s rogue of a husband and Mr. Darcy’s sworn enemy. THE WICKHAMS is a charming holiday tale that explores the confines of class and the generosity of forgiveness."

Dramaturg Note

Wickhams Program Dramaturgy Note

"Playwright Lauren Gunderson once said, “You know what people love? Jane Austen. You know what people really love? Christmas and Jane Austen.” In 2016, she and co-writer Margot Melcon searched for inspiration for a new Christmas play, and it didn’t take long for them to find it in one of literature’s most beloved novels, Pride and Prejudice. This idea led them to write Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly, the first of three plays surrounding Christmas, 1815 in the Darcy estate from Austen’s story. Two years later, they followed up the success of Mary Bennet’s holiday adventures in Miss Bennet with The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberly, placing her sister Lydia in the spotlight this time. Later, a third installment, Georgiana and Kitty, joined the ranks.

With Melcon’s dramaturgical background and Gunderson’s penchant for telling stories with a feminist flair, they expand upon ideas presented in Austen’s original novel: class division, women’s place in Regency society, and the struggles of love and marriage. Though they don’t shy away from the often heavy implications of 19th-century marriage, divorce, and class structures, they leave plenty of room for a feel-good Christmas story. For Regency women, marriage meant placing their livelihood in the hands of their husbands, with virtually no way out. Even for those with the means to divorce, they faced a future as disgraced women in the eyes of society. Lower-class individuals often worked as servants in the house of gentry or peerage upper-class families throughout the year, even through the month-long Christmas season that ran from December 6 to January 6. Because they were needed to assist in the festivities of Christmas Day, the servants' holiday was December 26, Boxing Day, where they received gifts from their employers and spent the day with family.

Other ways people of all classes celebrated the Christmas season were by attending parties, hosting elaborate dinners, going to church, and decorating the house. Queen Charlotte introduced the German tradition of decorating an evergreen tree in 1800, and though it didn’t widely catch on in Britain until Queen Victoria’s reign, the Christmas tree represents the same spirit, charm, and cheer present in Pride and Prejudice and The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley. The Wickhams offers its audience a fresh look into the world of Jane Austen and Regency society with a sprinkling of humor, heart, and holiday spirit."