Classic author Jane Austen is the inspiration behind new show at the Orange Tree Theatre, Northanger Abbey, by Zoe Cooper.
Austen has inspired many adaptations on stage and screen, and I’ve collected as many as I can in this post.
Where I have seen or heard the adaptation in question, I’ve added a bit about it.
Happy hunting!
Film
The big screen has taken Austen’s novels as both direct and indirect inspiration. As far as we know, there were no films made from her works in the silent era – perhaps because her collected works were not made available until 1923.
Pride and Prejudice was first filmed in Hollywood in 1940. Greer Garson was the spirited Lizzie to Laurence Olivier’s guarded Darcy. Some changes to the book included a sympathetic Lady Catherine and all five daughters finding love by the end.
In Utah, the Latter Day Saints made a film version in 2003, while Bollywood themes came to the fore in 2004 in Bride and Prejudice.
Another straight adaptation with Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen appeared in 2005. It is especially watchable for Donsld Sutherland’s Mr Bennet.
A Modern Pride and Prejudice appeared in 2011. It has a modern twist but uses Austen’s period language.
Before The Fall, from 2016, places the story in modern Virginia, with Lizzie Bennet as a man.
In Mr Darcy, a short from 2023, Elizabeth and Darcy meet when speed dating!
Emma
The first film to use this novel as inspiration appears to be 1995’s Clueless, which sets the story in an American high school while keeping the basic plot intact.
Gwyneth Paltrow played Emma opposite Jeremy Northam’s Knightly in 1996 in a star-studded, faithful version.
Bollywood came calling in 2010 with Aisha.
A new film version appeared in 2020, with Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn. Notable for folk songs between the scenes and a brief nude scene for Flynn.
Sense and Sensibility
Directed by Emma Thompson, who also appeared as Elinor, 1995’s film of Sense and Sensibility was a hit with both critics and audiences, and is fondly remembered.
Kandukondain Kandukondain aka I Have Found It is a Bollywood version from 2000. It is a very loose romantic musical adaptation of the novel.
In Ellie & Marianne, from 2006, is a low-budget student film from Ball State University, which places the Dashwood sisters in modern roles (lawyer and soap star) while sticking closely to the plot.
Both Material Girls (2006) and Scents and Sensibility (2011) deal with family businesses in the beauty industry (cosmetics and perfumes). The latter, another Latter Day Saints production, is the most faithful to the book.
In 2011, From Prada to Nada takes Austen into the world of riches to rags, as two spoiled sisters lose their wealth.
I haven’t seen 2014’s Marianne, but it clearly focuses on the story of the younger sister in Sense and Sensibility.
In 2019’s Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen, sisters Ella and Marianne are Christmas party planners.
Persuasion
Late to the party, despite being one of Austen’s most beloved novels, Persuasion has had three films based on it.
Made in 2020, Modern Persuasion has the single Anne equivalent finding her ex coming to work for the same company.
A more faithful version came in 2022 from Netflix but veered too much into romcom territory with Dakota Johnson far too sassy as Anne.
Another modern version appeared in 2023 (USA) starring Skylar Pierce.
Northanger Abbey
1993’s Ruby in Paradise appropriates and updates the novel into a modern coming-of-age story.
Mansfield Park
Metropolitan is a clever romcom from 1990 that takes themes from Mansfield Park and places them into a story of young socialites in Manhattan.
1999’s controversial adaptation takes elements from Austen’s own life and times to present a startling and relevant take on the book.
Lady Susan
A version of this early Austen novel appeared in 2016, under the title Love and Friendship. It starred Kate Beckinsale.
TV
Pride and Prejudice
The BBC have filmed this novel on six occasions. The first three, from 1938, 1952, and 1958 are missing.
In 1967, one of the final black and white dramas from the channel featured Celia Bannerman as a spirited Lizzie and Lewis Fiander as a reserved Darcy.
1980’s version is a fine, solid and enjoyable adaptation with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul, with a good supporting cast.
The definitive Pride and Prejudice is perhaps the 1995 version, with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, which took some liberties with the plot but captures new fans on regular repeats.
In the USA, there were two early versions. In 1949, Philco Television Playhouse teamed Madge Evans and John Baragrey, while in 1956, Matinee Theatre produced their take on the story.
Two early European TV series worth a look are 1957’s Orgoglio e pregiudizio (Italy) and 1961’s De vier dochters Bennet (Netherlands), which take time to develop the story.
Spain has tackled the novel as Orgullo y prejucio twice, in 1966 as part of the series Novela and in 1979.
An 1985 TV series from India was called Trishna.
Looser versions include 2013’s Death Comes To Pemberley and 2018’s Christmas at Pemberley Manor.
In the 21st century, Unleashing Mr Darcy (and Paging Mr Darcy and Marrying Mr Darcy, were released by Hallmark) – in the first film, the meet is at a dog show.
In 1995, the intelligent and chatty dog Wishbone imagined himself in the role of Darcy.
2018’s Orgulho e Paixao (Brazil) is a mini-series based on five of Austen’s novels, including Pride and Prejudice.
Becoming Ms Bennet aka Pride and Prejudice: Cut (2018) has an American internet star taking on the role of Lizzie in a British adaptation.
And in 2019, the TV movie Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta has the author of a self-help book determined to find good matches for her five daughters.
Emma
The first two adaptations from the BBC, in 1948 and 1960, are missing.
Versions in 1972 and 2009 are both very watchable – the first has Doran Godwin and John Carson, the second has Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller.
ITV challenged the 1996 film in the same year with a muted and sweet version with Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong.
In the USA, Kraft Theatre in 1954 had Felicia Montealegre and Peter Cookson, Matinee Theatre in 1957 had Sarah Churchill and Tom Helmore, while Camera Three in 1960 had Enid Markey as Emma.
In 1967 Emma was produced in Spain as part of Novela.
Sense and Sensibility
There are three very strong TV versions extant from the BBC.
In 1971, the sisters were played by Joanna David and Ciaran Madden; in 1981 by Irene Richard and Tracey Childs. Both are excellent and true to the book.
In 2008, Andrew Davies wrote a more raunchy version starring Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield.
In the USA in 1950, Philco Television Playhouse starred Madge Evans and Cloris Leachman.
Persuasion
The BBC tackled Persuasion twice, with the first version in 1960 missing.
The 1995 version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds is considered definitive and extremely restrained and true to the book.
ITV had two versions – 1971’s with Ann Firbank and Bryan Marshall feels very theatrical, while the 2007 version with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones is remembered for the heroine’s speedy run.
In Spain the book was used for the Novela series in 1972, while American Playhouse in 1990 took inspiration for Sensibility and Sense, using the character names but not much else.
Northanger Abbey
This appeared in 1968 as La abadia de Northanger on Spain’s Novela.
UK TV tackled it twice, in 1986 on the BBC with an odd electronic score, and once in 2007 on ITV aimed at “a new generation.”
Wishbone the talkative dog dealt with this book in 1997’s Pup Fiction.
Mansfield Park
The 1983 BBC version with Sylvestra La Touzel is fairly unimaginative, but streets ahead of ITV’s 2007 version with Billie Piper, which is tonally wrong and totally miscast.
Sanditon
The 2014 Netflix series takes the unfinished novel as a starting point.
Stage
Plays
Pride & Prejudice (Helen Jerome), described as a ‘sentimental comedy’.
Pride & Prejudice (Sarah Pascoe)
Lizzy, Darcy and Jane (Joanna Norland)
Pride & Prejudice (Emma Whipday)
Pride & Prejudice … sort of (Isobel McArthur)
Emma (Michael Bloom)
Emma (Emma Whipday)
Northanger Abbey (Thea Holme)
Northanger Abbey (Constance Cox), a comedy
Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (Francis E Matthews)
Northanger Abbey (Kate Wood)
Northanger Abbey (Lynn Marie Macy), a ‘romantic Gothic comedy’.
Northanger (Michael Caines)
Northanger Abbey (Tim Luscombe)
Northanger Abbey Puppet Show (Box Tale Soup)
Mansfield Park (Willis Hall)
Persuasion (Jeff James)
Sense and Sensibility (Jessica Swale)
Sense and Sensibility (Emma Whipday)
The Watsons (Laura Wade)
Being Mr Wickham (Catherine Curzon) muses on what happened to Wickham in later years.
Musicals
First Impressions (Pride & Prejudice)
Pride & Prejudice (concept album)
Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical
Emma: A New Jane Austen Musical
Sense and Sensibility: The Musical (Hampton and Haddow) – coming to the Minack Theatre, Cornwall, in June
Sense and Sensibility: The Musical (Paul Gordon)
Sanditon: 200 Years Later
Operas
Stolthet och fördom (Daniel Nelson), 3 act opera comique based on Pride and Prejudice
Web series
Pride and Prejudice
2012 The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Emma
2013 Emma Approved
Persuasion
2019 Rational Creatures
Mansfield Park
2014 From Mansfield With Love
Northanger Abbey
2015 Northbound
2016 The Cate Morland Chronicles