Pride and Prejudice was published on 28 January 1813. Jane received her author copies the day before and that very evening she and her mother read half of the first volume to their neighbour, Miss Benn, without letting on that Jane was the author. Jane described the event in a letter to Cassandra:  

‘I beleive it passed with her unsuspected.–She was amused, poor soul! that she cd not help you know, with two such people to lead the way’

For this very special event, join us as we re-enact the first ever reading aloud of Pride and Prejudice over 200 years ago, in the Drawing Room of Jane Austen’s House.  

As part of a small and exclusive audience, we’ll enjoy a welcome from the Museum Director Lizzie Dunford before we settle down for a lively reading by fantastic actors Hollie Hales and Adam Cunis – bringing Jane Austen’s beloved story to life.   

We won’t get through quite as much as Jane and her mother – but we’ll enjoy the first six chapters of Pride and Prejudice, taking us from Mr Bingley’s first arrival at Netherfield to Mr Darcy’s snub of Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly, and on to the evening party at Sir William Lucas’s where Darcy notices Elizabeth’s fine eyes with admiration, and Miss Bingley experiences a twinge of jealousy… 

As a master of dialogue, Jane Austen’s works are best enjoyed out loud, and this delightful performance will bring the characters alive in the very room in which Jane first gave voice to them herself. 

After the reading, we’ll enjoy a warming glass of mulled wine or apple juice in the Historic Kitchen and toast our inimitable and extraordinary authoress.  

Details: 

Date: Saturday 25 January 2025 

Time: 6pm – 7.30pm, 7:45pm-9:15pm 

Performances start at 6pm & 7:45pm

Location: This event is at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton. Find us 

Tickets: £30

☕ This event includes refreshments, please let us know on booking if you have any dietary requirements. 

📖 This event is part of our Pride and Prejudice Festival, 23-28 January 2025.

About the performers:

Hollie Hales trained at RADA. Her recent audio work includes Tales of a Monstrous Heart by Jennifer Delaney, Bookishly Ever After by Mia Page (Audible) and Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire “The Gordon Riots” podcast.

Adam Cunis’s recent work includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre), Macbeth Storytelling (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) and The Woman in the Moon (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse).