Buxton Drama League gives Jane Austen classic a 90s makeover
The cast of Persuasion contains a mix of familiar and new faces to the Drama League
Buxton Drama League are returning to the Pavilion Arts Centre this November with an updated version of a Jane Austen classic.
Persuasion, adapted by Jeff A James with James Yeatman, moves this romantic comedy of manners to the iconic setting of the 1990s, complete with a soundtrack of fun 90s bangers!
Director Toni Saxton says: "What would you do if you accidentally ran into the one who got away … or rather, the one your family persuaded you to run away from? Would you hide away in your familial duties? Find someone new to make them jealous? Pretend you've totally moved on (even though your heart is doing dial up noises)?
"Anne thought she had it all figured out until swoon-worthy Wentworth walks straight back into her life like it’s no big deal. Now she’s juggling family disputes, unspoken confessions, and one too many “coincidental” run-ins, all while trying to keep her cool (and failing adorably). Because sometimes love deserves a second chance … even if it comes with questionable fashion choices, and a whole lot of mixed signals."
The cast of Persuasion contains a mix of familiar and new faces to the Drama League, including Allie Manning (winner of a NODA award for their performance in last year’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Anne, Dan Large as Wentworth, and the award-nominated Charlie Brindley as Elizabeth and Louisa.
Toni adds: ‘Persuasion contains all the finely-drawn characters that you’d expect from a Jane Austen novel, and their romantic dilemmas and mishaps resonate with every generation – as true in a 1990s setting as they were in Austen’s own Georgian era.’
Persuasion (James) runs at Buxton’s Pavilion Arts Centre from Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 November 7.30pm and tickets are available now from Buxton Opera House https://buxtonoperahouse.org.uk/events/persuasion-buxton-drama-league-2026/