**First-look photos by © Manuel Harlan**
## *The Watsons* play gears up Menier Chocolate Factory premiere!
**Jane Austen**'s once incomplete novel is now a complete and modern theatrical masterpiece, fully staged with gorgeous lighting (**Gregory Clarke**), stage design (**Ben Stones**), and costume design. After earning widespread critical acclaim at the Chichester Festival Theatre back in November 2018, The Watsons, directed by Samuel West, is set to take the London theatre scene by storm.
### What is *The Watsons* about?
*The Jane Austen novel-turned-play follows 19-year-old Emma Watson who has just moved to a new town after her wealthy aunt took away her allowance. Desperate to marry a rich husband to maintain her extravagant lifestyle, Emma soon has a growing list of eligible bachelors, but will she manage to find the perfect rich suitor for herself so that she and her sister can avoid poverty?*
### *The Watsons* Menier Chocolate Factory cast
The [**Menier Chocolate Factory**](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/143/menier-chocolate-factory.aspx) transfer stars returning cast members **Cat White** as Miss Osborne, **Elaine Claxton** as Mrs Edwards, **Elander Moore** as Bertie, **Grace Molony** (*Artemis Fowl, Mary Queen of Scots*) as Emma Watson, **Jane Booker** as Lady Osborne, **Joe Bannister** (*Chariots of Fire*) as Lord Osborne, **John Wilson Goddard** as Mr Watson, **Laurence Ubong Williams** (*The Deep Blue Sea*) as Tom Musgrave, **Laurence Ubong Williams** as Tom Musgrave, **Louise Ford** (*A Midsummer Knight's Dream*) as Laura, **Paksie Vernon** as Elizabeth Watson, **Sally Bankes** as Nanny, **Sam Alexander** as Robert Watson, **Sophie Duval** as Mrs Robert, and **Tim Delap** as Mr Howard, all of whom reprise their roles from the original production.
🎫 [**Book tickets for *The Watsons, *showing at the Menier Chocolate Factory from £53**](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/play/4202/the-watsons-tickets.aspx).
