World Premiere of “Ken Ludwig’s Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley

Photo Attached: At a rehearsal of Westport Country Playhouse's World Premiere of "Ken Ludwig's Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley": L-R, lower row, Allison Wick, Lucy Austin, Delphi Borich; standing, Carson Elrod, Ken Ludwig (playwright), Mathias Goldstein, Tony Roach, Emily Mann (director), Reg Rogers. Photo by Kelsey McFarland

Westport Country Playhouse Stages World Premiere of "Ken Ludwig's Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley," Oct. 20 – Nov. 7

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Celebrating Jane Austen's 250th anniversary year, the new play blends her elegant world with a dash of historical adventure, creating a lively ensemble comedy about marriage, ambition, and the thrill of changing one's destiny.

Westport Country Playhouse will kick off the 2026-27 Season with the World Premiere of "Ken Ludwig's Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley," a stage sequel to Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice," from October 20 through November 7.

Wit, romance, intrigue, and comedy collide in this new work from acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig ("Lend Me a Tenor," "Crazy for You," "Moon Over Buffalo"), helmed by award-winning director/playwright Emily Mann ("Having Our Say," "Execution of Justice").

"What an exciting way to begin a brand-new season at the Playhouse - with a world premiere that is smart, romantic, wildly funny, and full of surprises!," said Mark Shanahan, Playhouse artistic director. "With a tale only he could dream up, Ken Ludwig takes characters we think we already know and love and sends them in wonderfully unexpected new directions. With the incomparable Emily Mann at the helm and a brilliant cast taking the stage, we're enormously proud to launch this terrific new play into the American theatre, and I can't wait for our audiences to be the first to fall in love with it!"

"Pride and Prejudice, Part 2" picks up with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy happily married at Pemberley—until their world is upended by an unexpected house guest: Napoleon Bonaparte! As the fallen emperor awaits exile, his presence ignites a revolution of sorts among the Darcys and their colorful circle of friends and relations.

"In troubled times, it's especially important to produce plays that encourage us to hope, dream, and strive to be our best selves," said Ludwig. "'Pride and Prejudice, Part 2' continues the story of Jane Austen's most beloved characters with an aim to entertain audiences and send them back into the world buoyed by laughter and optimism."

Mann stated, "It is essential for the future of the American theater that our theaters produce important new work, and Westport Country Playhouse has a history of premiering some of our best. Ken Ludwig, a master of comedy, adds to that legacy with what may be his finest play to date. Joyous and witty, hilarious and smart, this glittering new confection promises to delight."

The eight-member cast includes Lucy Austin as Lydia Wickham (Regional: "Sweeney Todd," "The Sound of Music" at Utah Shakespeare Festival; "Cymbeline," "Much Ado about Nothing," "Into the Woods," "The General from America" at Hudson Valley Shakespeare; Film: Greta Gerwig's "Little Women"; BFA: The Boston Conservatory); Delphi Borich as Elizabeth Darcy (Broadway: "Into the Woods," "Camelot"; originated roles of May Welland in "The Age of Innocence" and Elizabeth Bennet in "Austen's Pride," a musical adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice"; graduate of Syracuse University; @delphiborich); Carson Elrod as Mr. Collins/Major Hudson Lowe (Westport Country Playhouse: "The Drawer Boy," "How the Other Half Loves," "Bedroom Farce," "Don Juan"; Broadway: "Peter and The Starcatcher," "Reckless," "Noises Off"; Metropolitan Opera: "The Merry Widow"; MFA NYU Grad Acting; executive director of Arts Workers United); Mathias Goldstein as Lieutenant Melville (Theatre: "The Flick," "Twelfth Night," "As You Like It," "The Diary of Anne Frank"; Film/TV: "Law & Order," "FBI: Most Wanted," "The Pale Blue Eye," "Le Parrot"; MFA: Juilliard).

Kristine Nielsen as Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Westport Country Playhouse: Script in Hand of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"; Broadway: "Smash"; two-time Tony Award nominee for "Gary" and "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike"; "Present Laughter," "You Can't Take It with You," "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson," "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; London: "Infinite Life"; Film/TV: "Coup!"; HBO's "The Gilded Age"); Tony Roach as Fitzwilliam Darcy (Broadway: "The Cottage," "Flying Over Sunset," "My Fair Lady," "Bright Star"; Off-Broadway: "The Liar"; "Arden of Faversham"; Film/Television: "Elsbeth," "Succession"; former guitarist and singer with the rock band Catalytic; Education: ART/MXAT, Columbia University); Reg Rogers as Napoleon Bonaparte (Westport Country Playhouse: "Oblivion"; Theatre: "Rhinoceros" - Connecticut Critics Circle Award; "Little Shop of Horrors"; "Merrily We Roll Along" - Lucille Lortel Nomination; "The Dazzle" – Obie and Lucille Lortel Awards; "Holiday" - Tony Nomination; Film/TV: "Primal Fear," "Runaway Bride," "Friends," "The Americans," "Boardwalk Empire," "The Knick"); and Allison Wick as Anne de Bourgh (Regional: "Everything That Never Happened" at Baltimore Center Stage; Off-Off Broadway: "The Crucible," "Everything Will Be Different" at Hunger Theatre; Television: "Law & Order: SVU," "Chicago Med," "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "Cupertino," "FBI," "Bull"; @allisonwick_).

Director Emily Mann is a Tony-nominated director and playwright and a Tony-winning artistic director. In her 30 years as artistic director and resident playwright at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, she wrote 15 new plays and adaptations, directed over 50 productions, produced 180 plays and musicals, and supported and directed the work of many emerging and legendary playwrights. On Broadway, she directed her own plays "Execution of Justice" and "Having Our Say," Nilo Cruz's "Anna in the Tropics," and Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Her other plays include "Gloria: A Life," which aired on PBS' "Great Performances." Awards include: Peabody, Guggenheim, Hull Warriner, NAACP, six Obies; Princeton University Honorary Doctorate of Arts; and Dramatists Guild Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. She has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Playwright Ken Ludwig is one of the most performed playwrights of his generation, with six Broadway productions and eight in London's West End. His 30+ plays and musicals are produced worldwide year-round, in over 20 languages across more than 30 countries, with many now part of the American repertoire. His first play, "Lend Me a Tenor," won two Tony Awards and was hailed by The Washington Post as "one of the classic comedies of the 20th century." "Crazy for You" ran five years on Broadway and three in the West End, winning both the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. His adaptation of "Murder on the Orient Express" has enjoyed hundreds of international productions since its 2022 European premiere. Ludwig's honors include two Olivier Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards. His plays—among them "Moon Over Buffalo," "Leading Ladies," "Baskerville," "Sherwood," "Dear Jack, Dear Louise," and "Moriarty"—have starred artists including Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, and Kristen Bell.

Creative team includes JoAnn M. Hunter, choreographer; Beowulf Boritt, set designer; Jennifer von Mayrhauser, costume designer; Jeff Croiter and Katy Atwell, co-lighting designers; Mark Bennett, sound design and additional arrangements; Michael Rossmy, fight director/intimacy coordinator; Deborah A. Hecht, voice and dialect coach; Robert Lavagno, props supervisor; Carissa Thorlakson, wig and hair designer; Stephanie Klapper Casting, Stephanie Klapper, CSA, casting; and Christopher Kee Anaya-Gorman, production stage manager.

Performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. (No Wed. or Sat. matinees during preview week). Special series include Taste of Tuesdays (Oct. 20), Pride Night (Oct. 22), Opening Night (Oct. 24), Sunday Symposium (Oct. 25), Backstage Pass (Oct. 28), Open Captions (Nov. 1), and Thursday TalkBack (Nov. 5).

Single tickets start at $50 with discounts for students, senior citizens, educators, military, first responders, Indigenous peoples, professional playwrights, and groups, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes. Details at: www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/box-office/.

Running time is approximately two hours, including intermission. Appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Production Sponsors are Athena and Daniel Adamson, and Judy and Scott Phares; Corporate Production Sponsors are Cohen and Wolf, P.C., and Charles Schwab Fairfield; Corporate Production Supporter is 3030 Park at Senior Living Hospitality Group; Production Supporter is Claire Wilkes; and Opening Night Post Show Reception Sponsor is Hightower Signature Wealth.

2026 Programming and Season Sponsor is Barbara Streicker. 2026 Media sponsors are Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

For complete information, visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/pride-and-prejudice-part2/

A complete schedule of Playhouse events is available at westportplayhouse.org. All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), Instagram (wcplayhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse). Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport.