Austenmania!

Celebrating 30 years of the iconic adaptations of 1995: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Clueless!

22 Jan — 4 Jan 2026

This exhibition looks back to 1995 – an astonishing year of film and TV adaptations that changed the Austen landscape forever.

30 years on from this extraordinary year, and 250 years on from Jane Austen’s birth, we celebrate  four landmark film and TV adaptations that were first seen in 1995 – from Andrew Davies’ seminal adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for the BBC starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, to Emma Thompson and Ang Lee’s stunning big-screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, BBC Screen Two’s quiet, unhurried adaptation of Persuasion starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds, and finally the frothy masterpiece that is Clueless! – a brilliant reimagining of Emma set in the L.A. hills.

Scripts and production notes from the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice adaptation

The exhibition will showcase two original Pride and Prejudice transmission scripts from the Andrew Davies Archive and handwritten notes on the production from the Sue Birtwistle Archive, on loan from De Montfort University. Production shots, original cinema posters, merchandise and original press cuttings will also feature in the exhibition. A facsimile of all the Pride and Prejudice scripts will be available for visitors to leaf through, brought to life via the original BBC Pride and Prejudice soundtrack which will accompany the exhibition.

Enjoy a trip back to the 1990s when Austenmania was in full swing!

Austenmania! opens on Wednesday 22 January 2025 and is free with House entry!  This exhibition will run throughout 2025.  

 

We are delighted that this exhibition is supported by De Montfort University and the BBC.