One of the most universally loved and quintessentially English novels of all time, Pride And Prejudice, gets a stage outing in an acclaimed production.

Featuring brooding Mr Darcy and headstrong Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen’s romantic classic comes to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.

The production by Regent’s Park Theatre stars Matthew Kelly and Felicity Montagu.

Kelly, who plays Mr Bennet, may be a familiar face from TV but has also appeared in the West End, as the original Stanley in Funny Peculiar, in Waiting For Godot with Ian McKellen and Roger Rees, and Tim Firth’s Sign of The Times, to name a few.

The presenter of Stars in Their Eyes, he has also starred in numerous TV dramas, including Cold Blood, Marple, Casualty and Heartbeat.

Montagu, as Mrs Bennet, is best known for playing long-suffering PA Lynn in I’m Alan Partridge, a role she appeared in for both the TV series and the 2013 film.

Most recently, she has been seen on the big screen as Mrs Mainwaring in the 2016 film remake of Dad’s Army, but she will also be known as Perpetua in Bridget Jones’s Diary, as well as having been in ITV’s Doc Martin and The Durrells.

The pair will be joined by Tafline Steen as Elizabeth Bennet, Benjamin Dilloway as Mr Darcy and Dona Croll as Lady Catherine De Bourgh.

Pride And Prejudice is the story of the Bennets and their five unmarried daughters.

A family of humble means, Mr and Mrs Bennet see the opportunity to improve their social standing when wealthy Mr Bingley and his eligible friend Mr Darcy move to the neighbourhood.

But while Bingley takes an immediate liking to their eldest daughter Jane, the dismissive Darcy clashes with their second formidable daughter, Elizabeth. As the Bennet sisters haplessly search for love in Jane Austen’s ultimate romantic comedy, it is Mr Darcy who unwittingly finds his match.

First published in 1813, the book has remained one of the most popular novels in English literature, selling more than 20 million copies.

It has been adapted for the big and small screen on numerous occasions, most notably the 1940 film starring Laurence Olivier, and the 1995 BBC adaptation with Colin Firth.

DETAILS

Pride And Prejudice is at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury from Tuesday, January 31 to Saturday, February 4. For tickets from £20, call 01227 787787, or go to marlowetheatre.com The 2.30pm show on Saturday will be audio-described and captioned