What to stream this weekend: Cygnet’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’

From new TV shows and cast reunions to virtual musical and arts events, here’s a weekly look at a standout streaming option

My pick: Cygnet Theatre’s “Pride and Prejudice”

Not for Lady Catherine de Bourgh types: This weekend, Cygnet makes it version of “Pride and Prejudice” available to stream. But be warned: this is not, by any means, a traditional staging of Jane Austen’s classic. Written by Kate Hamill, this version is a humorous and lively adaptation told through a modern lens — including the use of pop music. Lady Catherine definitely would not approve.

Elizabeth + Darcy forever: Though “Pride and Prejudice” is essentially a love story between the free-sprited Elizabeth Bennet and the uptight Mr. Darcy, it’s also a play about propriety, family and social class. In the book, these topics are explored over hundreds of pages. On stage it’s condensed into a dizzying two acts, combined with a modern feminist perspective. But never fear, Elizabeth and Darcy still live happily ever after and the Bennet family doesn’t die penniless.

More chaotic than Mrs. Bennet: This play has a cast of only eight which means the actors play multiple characters — Sweet Mr. Bingley, for example, doubles as the always-ignored Mary Bennet. Also? They change costume on stage, sometimes as they speak. It’s definitely chaotic, but it also infuses a hyperactive energy into a traditionally slow-moving story.

As good as Pemberley Estate: I saw this play when it was first staged in 2019 and it was one of my favorite productions of the year.

Watch it: “Pride and Prejudice” is available as a 48-hour rental for $20. Today
is the final day to purchase at cygnettheatre.com.