Whether it’s the new Persuasion adaptation or the counterfactuals of Bridgerton and, er, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, we just can’t seem to shake Jane Austen’s world of dances and drawing rooms
, a new Netflix series, is due to be released later this year, with teen comedy star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan the latest actor to tackle Elizabeth. That Austen’s novels endlessly generate fresh versions, though, is not a sign that her adapters have nothing new to say – quite the reverse.
Austen’s fictional world is a place walled off from the distressing facts of politics, war and violence The Austenesque has tended to enjoy larger waves of popularity during economically difficult moments: the first great revival of popular interest was in the 1930s, whenbegan to publish the first of her fun, Austen-inspired romances, such as Regency Buck and The Corinthian.
The most obvious characteristic of the Regency dramas of the current moment is their diverse casting: a different pool of talent has stepped into corsets and breeches, from Adjoa Andoh’s Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, to Pinto and Sopé Dírísù in Mr Malcolm’s List.