Picture this: a crowded Essex nightclub, the air thick with sweat, and you’re far from sober. Your well-meaning but overbearing friend is determined to orchestrate your romantic life. This is Jane Austen’s Emma, reimagined for a contemporary audience.
For those unfamiliar, Austen’s 1815 novel chronicles the privileged existence of Emma Woodhouse in Regency England, as she occupies herself with meddling in the relationships of those around her – or, as she sees it, matchmaking.
In Ava Pickett’s vibrant adaptation, currently playing at London’s Rose Theatre, Emma Woodhouse retains all the defining characteristics of the cherished original: intelligence, wit, a penchant for interference, haughtiness, and occasional moments of cruelty.
However, instead of navigating societal balls and marriage prospects, Pickett’s modern Emma is immersed in her friends’ online dating profiles, having retreated home after academic struggles at Oxford University.
As the first in her family to attend university, Emma is hesitant to reveal the true reason for her sudden return to her proud, working-class father.
Pickett, who grew up in Clacton, Essex, also shares the experience of being a first-generation university student.
Despite completing her degree, she admits to feeling like “a failure” and adopting a “defensive” posture upon returning home and struggling to find employment (having trained as an actor). This manifested, she says, as “being quite contrary and overconfident in how everyone else should be living… and how I needed to be,” aspects she sees reflected in Emma’s character.
At 31, Pickett is establishing herself as one of the UK’s most promising and prolific young writers, with credits including TV dramas like Sky’s Brassic and the BBC’s Ten Pound Poms, her debut play 1536 at London’s Almeida Theatre, and a forthcoming Joan of Arc film co-written with Baz Luhrmann.
She recounts that, while initially unfamiliar with Emma, she became captivated upon reading it at the suggestion of the Rose’s Christopher Haydon, who is directing the play.
“I really identified with that feeling of [being] 21. She’s so young, but is on the cusp of adulthood. She believes she knows everything about everyone else’s life and what they need to do in order to get to happiness. She reminded me so much of me at that age.”
Austen’s enduring appeal is undeniable. As we mark the 250th anniversary of her birth, recent years have seen the BBC TV series Miss Austen, a film adaptation of Emma starring Anya Taylor Joy, and the West End’s Clueless musical (inspired by the 90s teen film adaptation of Emma, which Pickett considers a “masterpiece”).
Furthermore, a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, featuring Emma Corrin, is set to debut on Netflix.
Pickett explains that her decision to create a contemporary Emma, rather than a period piece, stemmed from “talking to a lot of my friends about it, how they felt about dating, and I felt like I was beginning to recognise Emmas in my life.”
This Emma (portrayed by Amelia Kenworthy) and her circle, including love interest George Knightley (Kit Young), are more likely to frequent pubs and nightclubs than attend formal gatherings or practice the piano.
And there’s always time to obsess over online dating profiles and potential matches – or, in Austen’s terms, suitors.
“It’s so brutal because I think the apps can get really addictive, so that your validation comes from how many likes you have, how many matches you get… It becomes a kind of game… so a lot of your self-worth is coming from a number on your screen,” Pickett observes.
“This idea of ghosting someone can be really, really cruel,” she adds.
“In my experience, a lot of young men have found the apps toxic too… They are perpetuating a value system that doesn’t value human complexity or awkwardness.”
Young, known for his role in Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, adds: “This production really showcases that technology is just another lens of confusion, because someone can… get it wrong. We have much more facility for communication, but that doesn’t mean that we communicate any better and… that’s actually the chaos of it all.”
His character serves as a grounding force in Emma’s life, and their ages are closer than in the original novel, where George is approximately 17 years her senior.
Pickett explains: “I wasn’t really interested in her being an ingénue.”
Young adds: “George is very astute, very smart. He doesn’t hate where he’s from, and he’s quite comfortable there.
“The one person that grinds his gears is Emma. You can absolutely love someone and hate someone at the same time.”
Kenworthy, in the lead role, expresses empathy for her character.
“Every choice she makes is because she’s just trying to help people, and it’s messy and it’s complicated. But her heart’s in the right place. She probably just needs to see a therapist!”
Emma’s steadfast friend, Harriet (Sofia Oxenham), who remained in their hometown during Emma’s studies, has a more developed and significant role in Pickett’s adaptation.
“I really love writing female friendships because I think they are wonderful but brutal and difficult. No-one teaches you at school that it’s work to stay friends for a long time,” Pickett remarks.
One of Austen’s most iconic lines belongs to Emma, who tells Harriet: “You must be the best judge of your own happiness” (before, ironically, persuading her to reject a proposal from farmer Robert Martin due to her own biases).
“I really wanted to dig into that a lot. It’s something Emma has to learn,” Pickett states.
The writer hopes that Austen’s universal themes will resonate with audiences more than two centuries after Emma’s initial publication.
“The human condition is, in lots of ways, still the same. Jealousy is jealousy. Love is love.”
Emma is on at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London, from 17 September until 11 October 2025.
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