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Luke McGibney and Jolie Myatt as Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett
Nottingham’s McGibney Productions have completed the first part in a planned series of webisodes of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Filmed in a period house in Kimberley, and featuring local actors Luke McGibney as Mr. Darcy, Jolie Myatt as Elizabeth Bennett and Séana Cooke as the Maid, it will look to tell the classic story in an episodic formula.
The novel, originally published in 1813, tells the story of twenty year-old Elizabeth, dealing with the issues of upbringing, manners, education, morality and marriage in the society of landed gentry of early nineteenth century England. Director Rebecca McGibney said, “I always felt that some of the interesting idiosyncrasies of Mr. Darcy’s character can get lost in the plot. Through breaking the story down into five to ten minute webisodes I wanted to explore some of the sides of his character we as viewers haven’t previously seen extensively before.”
Director of Photography Jordan McGibney wants to utilise some of the architecture and landscapes of Nottingham, saying, “We’ve got our eye on a few locations that we’d like to film the next stage of Pride and Prejudice. We’re really lucky that Nottingham is so full of idyllic locations.”
Made iconic by Colin Firth, and also played by Laurence Olivier, Peter Cushing, and Matthew Macfadyen, the role of Mr. Darcy is one of the most famous in literary history. On tackling such a eminent role, actor Luke McGibney told us; “I really wanted to try and discover some of the hidden vulnerability in Mr. Darcy. A lot of the screen representations of him have been standoffish and arrogant, whereas I wanted to modernize his character by instilling twenty-first century ideals alongside his pre-existing nineteenth century stiff upper lip mentality."
The webisode’s art director was Nottingham Trent graduate Lara de Jager, with the antique furniture supplied by Madhatters Tea Shop in Kimberley.
The first part of Pride and Prejudice will be made available at the end of May on McGibney's website.
McGibney Productions
McGibney Vimeo
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