“After all, no one is the villain of his own story!” So said that charming rascal George Wickham about his life before, during, and after Pride & Prejudice.
Actually, it was Adrian Lukis, who portrayed Wickham in the popular 1995 BBC-TV adaptation. The acclaimed one-man play off-Broadway that he co-wrote closed on June 11th. JASNA-NY reserved a block of 30 tickets at 59E59 Theaters so members could see the show together on Saturday, June 3. We also were able to join in a talkback after the performance with Mr. Lukis.
About 10 years ago, Mr. Lukis extensively researched Jane Austen’s work and the Regency period for another stage show, “An Evening with Jane Austen” (excerpts can be seen on YouTube). When the actor reached age 60, he told us, he began to wonder how Wickham would look back on his life at that age. He decided to return to the role, and we’re all glad he did! He’s a master storyteller who provided both humor and unexpected poignancy to Wickham’s narrative.
