Starting from Wednesday this week, audiences in Queensland will be able to enjoy a comedic and musical take on one of Jane Austin’s most iconic literary works – Pride and Prejudice – with producers Neil Gooding Productions and Woodward Productions bringing Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) to Brisbane’s QPAC Playhouse as part of (and the concluding chapter of) its broader national tour. This isn’t your traditional theatrical production where each actor on stage takes on a role; instead, it features a dynamic cast of just five – Amy Lehpamer, Zoe Ioannou, Kaori Maeda-Judge, Ruby Shannon and Teo Vergara – taking on the entire character roster as they switch roles for comedic effect.
Ahead of the Brisbane season, we were fortunate enough to pose some questions to Ruby Shannon, whose character roster includes Anne, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mister Collins and Mrs Gardiner – with them providing some insights on themselves and their career, the show, and more!
To kick things off, can you share a bit about your journey into acting so far? What drew you to performing, and into studying at both the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and locally at QUT?
I was always a really creative kid. I started dancing and playing instruments quite young, but I was always much more drawn to the performing side than the technical side. It was a bit of a slog getting through violin and ballet exams, but whenever I performed at concerts or recitals, I’d completely light up.
When I started performing in musicals in high school and discovered acting, it felt like the perfect blend of everything I loved. What I really love about acting is that it encourages individuality and expression rather than perfection. There’s no one right or wrong way to do it, and it gives you such a creative space to explore humanity and story telling.
My journey to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York almost happened on a whim. I went to Melbourne to use it as a practice audition before the Australian drama schools, but when I got in, it felt like an opportunity too good to refuse. I started in September 2019, and by March 2020 the world was shutting down, so I ended up finishing my first year on Zoom from regional Victoria, pulling all-nighters to keep up with New York time.
After that, I really reconsidered where I saw myself and ended up falling in love with the Australian industry. QUT felt like a great fit because it offered strong theatre training while also allowing me to develop my screen work, which had become increasingly important to me.
This production marks your professional theatre debut, and it’s a big one – touring the Athenaeum, the Sydney Opera House and QPAC all in a single run. What has that experience been like, from finding out you’d been cast through to that first night in front of an audience?
It’s been so surreal and genuinely such a dream come true. This show, this cast, and the opportunity to perform at such iconic venues all in my first contract, it was almost impossible to believe when I first got the offer. It all felt a little too good to be true, but alas, here I am!
I happened to be home with my family in Victoria when I got the call, so getting to celebrate with them was really special. From there, I was desperately counting down the days, and I’ve been celebrating every milestone along the way.
Rehearsals were such a joy, I’ve genuinely never laughed so much in my life. The whole team has been incredibly welcoming and encouraging, especially knowing it was my debut, but what I’ve appreciated most is that they’ve always treated me as an equal and trusted me as a performer who deserved to be there. That made the whole experience feel much less daunting and gave me the confidence to really enjoy it.
You play five characters across the show: Anne, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mr Collins and Mrs Gardiner. How do you keep them all distinct in your head, and are there any particular moments that really keep you on your toes each night?
We get this question a lot, and honestly, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I think coming into rehearsals and even auditions, knowing that the character swapping is really at the heartbeat of the show meant that, as we learnt it, it became part of the well-oiled rhythm of the piece.
Highlighting my script in different colours, and giving each character distinct accents and vocal qualities, really helped me categorise them physically. The incredible costumes are obviously a huge help too — they’re so well designed to make all the quick changes much easier, and over the course of the season it’s really become second nature.
The Meryton Ball in the first section is a good example: I go from Lydia, to Mary, back to Lydia, then to the maid, and to Mary, all in pretty quick succession. It’s chaotic, but the backstage traffic is incredibly precise. If you drop the ball, it has a knock-on effect for the rest of the cast, who are all switching back and forth at the same time. It’s like a moving train; once you’re on, you’re on, especially in the first half of the show!
The show is told from the perspective of the Bennets’ servants, who then step into the roles of the family and their suitors. What has it been like playing the story from that angle, and does Anne colour the way you approach the other characters you step into?
As a cast of femme-presenting performers, it’s such a rare gift to have the opportunity to play such a diverse range of characters that we might not otherwise get to play. We get to be irreverent and masculine and feminine and completely silly, all within the same show. There’s something really liberating about that. If anything, I think going onto my next job and only playing one character might be the real challenge!
Anne is a wonderful anchor amongst all those contrasting characters. I’ve channelled a lot of my own brashness and groundedness into her. She’s cheeky and fun, and it’s such a joy to establish that sense of allyship with the audience during the pre-show and whenever we break the fourth wall.
Some would consider Mr Collins one of Austen’s most notable comic creations. How did you approach making him your own without simply falling back on the familiar screen versions?
Walking into rehearsals, I was particularly terrified about Mr Collins. I understood the essence of him, but had no idea how to translate that into my body. I’m tall, I present quite femininely, and I had no idea where to even begin with such an iconic comedic male role! Luckily, our director Simon had worked with a number of femme actors in the role before, so he had some really useful groundwork for me to play with. He also admitted very quickly that Collins was his favourite character and that he wasn’t going to let me butcher him!
When it came to building the character, I had to take it one layer at a time; the nasal voice, the pace at which he stretches his words, and his physicality. A big part of it was allowing myself to find the comedy in his dullness and awkwardness, which was actually quite liberating once I overcame my instinct to do the exact opposite.
This particular iteration of Collins is also so iconic. Isabel McArthur has given me some truly hilarious, completely out-of-pocket lines, and it’s such a joy to play. I haven’t even appeared on stage yet and the Austen fans in the audience are already groaning and laughing as soon as they hear Collins being introduced. He’s a character that has continued to evolve since we opened in Melbourne, and he’s now become the role I most look forward to playing each night.
Did you have much of a relationship with Pride and Prejudice before this production – whether the novel or the adaptations – and has playing it every night, complete with karaoke pop classics, changed how you see the story?
I actually didn’t have much of a relationship with Pride and Prejudice before this production. I had seen Woodward’s Plied and Prejudice and QTC’s 2025 production before I auditioned, so my initial reference point for these iconic characters was actually the local Brisbane actors and friends who had played them in those productions.
Admittedly, the Regency romance genre had never really captivated me (I’ve never even seen Bridgerton) but once I was cast, I watched all the adaptations and, of course, read the book and started to understand the hype.
I think one of the great things about this production is how accessible it is for people like me who might feel a little apprehensive or intimidated by the Austen world. We use the maids and modern humour to break down those barriers and welcome people in, while still honouring the text and the story.
Being part of this process has definitely opened up my appreciation for the Regency romance genre. And who knows, once I’m unemployed, perhaps I’ll finally get around to watching Bridgerton.
For anyone who has seen the 1995 series or 2005 film a dozen times and thinks they know Pride and Prejudice inside out, what do you think this version will surprise them with?
I think they’ll really appreciate the way we celebrate the comedy that’s so ingrained in the book. Austen wrote incredibly funny women, and by reimagining the story with modern elements, we get to really highlight that silliness and irreverence.
It’s a piece of literature that’s been retold so many times for a reason, and I think what’s exciting about this version is the way we use music, a small femme cast and the maids of the household to offer a slightly different perspective. Having the maids front and centre allows us to uncover, or perhaps remind audiences, of what makes this story so enduring and iconic.
And with the recent The Other Bennet Sister series and another Pride and Prejudice film on the horizon, perhaps we’re the perfect live, local fix for this latest Austen resurgence!
A five-woman cast carrying an entire show together must build a pretty tight bond. What has the dynamic been like between all of you, and is there anything in particular you have learnt from sharing a stage with such a unique group of actors?
I absolutely love the actors I get to work with, and I’ve learnt so much from every single one of them. There’s such a strong sense of respect and fun between us, and I’ve definitely slipped into the role of the little sister of the cast! They’ve all modelled such a high level of professionalism and immense talent, I’m inspired by them every day.
What I’ve found particularly special is that we’re all at such different ages and stages of our lives and careers, but there’s this incredible sense of unity between us. Everyone brings something completely different to the room, and I think that’s made us stronger as an ensemble.
One thing that’s been particularly meaningful for me has been watching Amy Lehpalmer and our swing, Matilda Moran, navigate motherhood alongside work. They both have young boys under four, and watching them balance motherhood with the demands of the job so gracefully has been incredibly inspiring to me.I feel really lucky to have had that modelled to me so early in my career, it’s made the idea of having both a fulfilling creative life and a family feel much more tangible and possible.
You’ve spent the last few years working in Brisbane’s independent theatre and film scene. What does it mean to bring your professional debut to a Brisbane stage, and is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to about being back on home turf?
Finishing the tour in Brisbane feels pretty special. I wasn’t born here, but it’s been home throughout my early twenties. I’ve watched countless shows at the Playhouse, and it’s been at the top of my list of venues I’ve wanted to perform at since I moved here. I can’t believe I get to tick it off on my very first tour! I think seeing familiar faces in the audience will make me nervous all over again, but I’m really excited to share the show with the people who’ve been part of my Brisbane journey. And, honestly, I’ve missed the weather so much!
You’ve gone from graduating in 2023 to a national tour just a few years later. What advice would you offer to young performers – particularly those coming through Queensland’s training programs – who hope to follow a similar path?
Keep training. Find a routine where you’re not relying on auditions to practise your craft. Find classes, workshops and creative outlets where you have permission to fail, experiment and make mistakes. I think that’s so important, because auditions can become quite high-pressure environments, and you want to keep developing as an artist outside of that.
It’s also really easy to get hung up on the opportunities you miss out on, but one thing I’ve learnt from getting my first big booking is that you can’t always see why something didn’t work out until the right opportunity comes along. When it does, you appreciate what it means to be working on something that genuinely feels right for you. So I’d say be patient, keep doing the work, and try not to let rejection define where you think you should be. Sometimes rejection really is redirection, and the things you’re waiting for can arrive when you least expect them.
Rapid-Fire Questions
Favourite song in the show?
You’re So Vain, Teo absolutely crushes it every night and it’s the most justified needle drop in the show.
Favourite line to deliver (as any of your five characters)?
“His history of abducting teenage girls” as Anne OR “Mr Bingley, I can fit my whole fist in my mouth, look!” as Lydia.
The character you’d least like to be stuck in a room with?
Caroline Bingley.
Favourite pre-show ritual?
Warming up with the cast onstage.
Favourite moment with the cast so far on tour?
The day we first arrived at the Opera House was pretty surreal. Four of the five of us were making our Opera House debut, and we got to film some promo on the steps and be taken around the iconic venue. It was such a special moment to experience together.
Song you’d sneak into the show if you could?
I think Mr Collins would do a souring rendition of My Way by Frank Sinatra.
Imagine you’re in my shoes reviewing the show – what’s the major highlight?
I think the cast… everyone is so hilarious and talented, I’m sure you’ll be as obsessed with them as I am.
Same question, but answered as any of your portrayed characters?
I think Mary would like that there’s a happy ending for everyone.
We would like to pass on our sincerest gratitude to Ruby Shannon for taking the time out of their busy schedule to respond to our questions. We wish them all the best for the remainder of the Australian tour. Furthermore we would like to thank both the producers of Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) and Sharonne Lipman from SLIP Publicity for facilitating this interview. You can find more information about Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) via the tours Australian Website.
