Written by Laura Wade and performed by the third year Acting students from WAAPA, The Watsons is a quirky adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel of the same name. We are introduced to Emma Watson, daughter of the Watson house, eagerly awaiting a suitor. But what starts as a sophisticated family drama soon becomes a meta-analysis on writing and human nature.
Every actor is instantly believable as a retinue of the sheltered upper class. They adopt a pitch-perfect English accent that never wavers. Almost every performer gets time to shine, and all have infectious enthusiasm. As Emma, Rebecca Galvin seamlessly transitions from demure to defiant. She especially excels when meeting Laura, the modern-day writing interloper, played with effortless casualness by Aimee Honor.
Jay Kay Davies’ Lord Osborne and Pippin Carroll’s Tom Musgrave command every scene they’re in. Their distinct, playful line delivery adds colour to the show. Even the mute Officer, Victoire Hemedi, gives us some fancy dance moves.
There’s always someone to look at since every actor is always ‘on.’ While the performances suit the style of the period, The Watsons doesn’t follow a traditional Jane Austen story. By the middle of Act One, the tone shifts toward comedy, eventually leading to an extended, light-hearted fight scene in Act Two.
The rapid dialogue may preclude a younger audience from following along, but the play contains enough jokes and skits to keep the opening night audience in constant giggles. At one point they heartily clapped along to a humorously abrupt dance number.
Though the play shifts into a surreal space where the lines between fiction and reality blur, with a modern writer entering the 1800s world complete with phone, jeans, and coffee – the transition feels intentional and playful. The world may not follow traditional rules, but that unpredictability becomes part of its charm.
Refreshingly, the characters remain grounded despite the chaos. They aren’t reduced to caricatures or vehicles for modern commentary. Even amid lightsabers and flying saucers, each character holds onto clear, believable motivations, and the performances honour their period roots with consistency and care.
Director Melissa Cantwell’s blocking is superb. With just a bed, table, and four chairs, the stage never feels cluttered. Sitting in the third row of downstage right, I never saw an actor eclipse another. When facing the back of Emma, for example, Laura’s head popped up behind her right shoulder. This allowed me to be completely engrossed in Honor’s magnetic performance. Even when characters, without a chair, lie on the ground, it can simply be ascribed to their childlike curiosity with their crumbling reality.
Much like the characters themselves, The Watsons is a charming and refined show. Perfectly paced and choreographed, it’s a production I heartily recommend, especially to other actors and writers. Its analyses of writing, though at times superseded by physical gags, would strike a chord with wannabee playwrights.
The Watsons offers a bold, imaginative take on unfinished Austen and earns a confident five out of five calling cards.
The Watsons is presented by WAAPA’s 3rd Year Acting students and runs to 16 April at the Roundhouse Theatre, 2 Bradford Street Mt Lawley WA 6050.
Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1348666
Website: https://www.waapa.ecu.edu.au/performances-and-events/performances/2025/the-watsons
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/waapa.ecu/
Photo credits: Stephen Heath Photography
