Emma Thompson stars in Sense and Sensibility sequel – listen now to exclusive clip
Thompson stars opposite Erin Doherty in audio drama Becoming Meg Dashwood.
Emma Thompson leads the cast of new Audible audio drama Becoming Meg Dashwood, a sequel to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, written by Rebecca Humphries.
Having previously played Elinor Dashwood in Ang Lee's 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, Thompson will here take on the role of the youngest Dashwood sister, Margaret, who the new story centres around.
Meanwhile, Adolescence star Erin Doherty will also play the character, appearing as the younger version of Margaret, known as Meg.
Now, RadioTimes.com has got an exclusive clip from the audio drama, which is available to pre-order and will launch on Monday 6th October, which you can listen to now at the top of this article.
The Thursday Murder Club's Naomi Ackie will also star in the drama, playing Meg's lover Nelly, while the cast will be filled out by Liz Carr as Mrs Dashwood, Jessica Gunning as Hester, Paterson Joseph as Colonel Brandon, Greg Wise as Dr Keats, Golda Rosheuvel as older Nelly and Imelda Staunton as Mrs Jennings.
The synopsis for Becoming Meg Dashwood says: "Marriage is not for Margaret Dashwood. Where others see duty, Margaret sees entrapment and rage. But when an invitation from family friend Mrs Jennings hurls her into the chaotic heart of Covent Garden and Soho, Margaret discovers an intoxicating world beyond afternoon tea and polite society.
"Here she meets three women who live unapologetically: Nelly, an impulsive actress; Hester, a witch who works in the textile factory; and Inge, a sex worker who loves money and knows exactly how to get it. Here, Margaret’s rage is celebrated, along with her musical talents, and in their fierce company she is reborn as Meg: artist, and woman of hidden fires.
"All four women dare to imagine a life dictated by pleasure, politics, and possibility. But such a life demands sacrifice. Especially when Meg’s feelings for Nelly – tender, electric, terrifying – begin to deepen. How does one fall in love, when that love has no name?"
When the audio drama was first announced, Thompson, who is also an executive producer on the project, said: "I am very thrilled and proud to have been a part of bringing Audible and Rebecca Humphries’s extraordinary drama to life.
"Their vision for the youngest Dashwood sister takes us from Austen’s world into the more hidden parts of women’s lives, parts that were not written about at the time, at least not openly.
"I think Austen would have been fascinated and delighted with the language and with the story, and gladdened by the desire to take one of her characters and give her a future and a big, unexpected voice."
This is the second Audible project related to Jane Austen's works to be released in recent weeks, after a new version of Pride and Prejudice, starring Marisa Abela and Harris Dickinson, was added to the platform last month.
Becoming Meg Dashwood is available to pre-order at www.audible.co.uk. It will be released on Monday 6th October.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
