Announcing our 2020 Ambassadors

Jane Austen’s House is delighted to announce that Laura Wade, Olivier Award-winning playwright and screenwriter and her partner, actor and theatre director Samuel West will be our joint Ambassadors for 2020.

Wade’s play The Watsons, a witty adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished story of the same name, was first produced at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre in 2018, directed by West. Following a successful transfer to the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2019, the play will make its West End debut at The Harold Pinter Theatre in May this year.

Laura is looking forward to her role as Ambassador alongside The Watsons director, Samuel West. Laura said: “We had a great morning at Jane Austen’s House with our cast early on in rehearsals and the visit really informed their work on the show.  We already feel like we have a connection to the Museum and are very proud to be associated with such an important and resonant place – it means a great deal to us.”

Collections and Interpretations Manager at Jane Austen’s House, Sophie Reynolds, said: “We are delighted to have Laura and Sam as Ambassadors for 2020 and look forward to working with them throughout the year. Jane Austen is known for her love of theatre, and Laura and Sam’s love of Austen is tangible in their beautiful, clever production. It feels like the perfect match.”