WESTPORT–It is a truth not-so-universally acknowledged that the lives of Elizabeth Bennett and her new husband Mr. Darcy were thrown into turmoil by a visit from exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

Such is the premise of “Ken Ludwig’s Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley” –one of two new plays that will be highlights of the Westport Country Playhouse’s 2026-2027 season. Directed by Emily Mann, the play is a “wildly imaginative sequel” to the classic 1813 Jane Austen novel, said Playhouse artistic director Mark Shanahan.

The other new show will be Charlotte Booker’s “The Pancake Club,” starring Tony Award-winning Judith Ivey, reprising her role from the staged reading of the play that the Playhouse presented as part of its “Script in Hand” series in January 2026.

Ivey will play Brenda, a waitress struggling with the death of her oldest friend while working at a small-town diner where a group of senior men – the Pancake Club – meet regularly for breakfast.

Rounding out the mainstage season will be ”The Legend of Georgia McBride,” a 2014 comedy about a struggling Elvis impersonator who finds success as a drag queen.

The season runs from October 2026 to August 2027.

“From world premieres to audience favorites, our upcoming season is filled with drama, mystery, music, laughter,” Shanahan said. In addition to the main events, he said, “our special, shorter-run events continue the celebration with the return of our holiday favorite, ‘A Sherlock Carol’; the fast-paced musical-comedy mystery, ‘Murder for Two’; and Sharone Sayegh’s powerful and deeply personal, ‘The Goldsmith.’ It’s a season that reflects the kinds of stories Playhouse audiences love most: entertaining, heartfelt, surprising and filled with the transformative power of live theatre.”

Upcoming playhouse productions are here.

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut 06880

www.westportplayhouse.org

^{_{The Westport Country Playhouse is a non-profit that produces theater from playwrights, actors, directors, and designers of all backgrounds, while entertaining audiences and exploring human and societal issues along the way. Image Robert Benson.}}