Youth Action Theatre's (YAT) production of Jane Austen's gothic satire Northanger Abbey debuted at Hampton Hill Theatre last night (Wednesday, 11 November).

And having studied a module on Austen novels, including Northanger Abbey, for my Literature degree almost a decade ago, I just had to see the production's opening night.

YAT's production synopsis tells the audience to expect "wit, romance, imagination and A LOT of Gothic drama as Catherine [the protagonist] discovers that real life can be every bit as dramatic as the stories she loves", and YAT delivered just that.

Starting at 7.45pm on Wednesday in Hampton Hill Theatre's Noel Coward Studio, YAT's stage setting perfectly mimicked an 18th-century setting and is one I can imagine Austen herself would have been proud of.

YAT's production consists of a large cast including Freya Broe (Catherine Morland), Robyn Marriott (Isabella Thorpe), Emily Fowler (Mrs Allen), Alfie Kennedy (Henry Tilney), Bonnie Ward (Eleanor Tilney), Alfie Buckner (John Thorpe), Felix Patterson (James Morland), Daniel Burnley (General Tilney), Cosmo Dearle (Frederick Tilney), Saskia Lewis (Mrs. Morland), Venus Wong (Emily St.Aubert), Kit Overd (St.Aubert), Al Holden (Valancourt), Gio Nickson (Count Morano), Malvina Moorgen (Dorothy/Alice), and several actors as ensembles.

And I must say that this might have been the best casting I have seen yet from YAT, as each actor, including the ensembles who had no words, presented excellent professional acting skills.

Having seen Broe, Kennedy, Ward, Fowler and Marriott in previous productions, I was not surprised at the level of acting that came from them, but I must applaud each of the main cast for their ability to remember so, so many lines faultlessly.

Broe did an absolutely wonderful job of playing Austen's protagonist. Her facial expressions, voice, and accent were beyond amazing, and I loved how she depicted Catherine in a funny, melodramatic way, which is slightly difficult to imagine merely by reading the novel.

The chemistry between Broe and Kennedy was almost palpable, not surprising following their performances in YAT's production of Tartuffe, and Kennedy did a wonderful job of portraying Henry Tileny, who, as always, Austen depicts as the perfectly flawed gent.

However, I must say that Marriott, Buckner, and Fowler were up there as some of my favourite castings for this production, as they had the audience laughing throughout - surprising for an Austen novel, regardless of its gothic satire genre.

Marriott expertly mimicked the desperate single debutante of Austen's time, causing the audience to chuckle frequently with her idle gossip, and did an excellent job of making the audience love Isabella in the first Act before displaying her true colours in the second.

Fowler's portrayal of Mrs Allen was spot on. Her ability to depict the stereotypical ditsy town woman was absolutely perfect.

And Buckner was by far the funniest of the lot, wonderfully presenting the stereotypical ignorant and horny adolescent male that features in many love triangles.

Moreover, despite not speaking until the second Act, I must say that Lewis is a wonderful actor and I believe that she should have had a bigger part. Equally, Wong, despite her small part, presented superb acting skills with her excellent facial expressions, and Patterson did an amazing job of portraying the kind James Morland.

The production begins with the whole cast taking to the stage in a scene reminiscent of a Bridgerton ball, and with the stage setting, classical takes on contemporary songs, and the marvellous costumes, hair and makeup, I immediately knew that I was in for a marvellous performance.

And as a huge Austen fan, this was everything I could imagine for a stage adaptation of any of the author's novels.

Now, I haven't actually read Northanger Abbey in almost a decade, and while I believe that YAT did a superb job of creating its production as authentically Austen as possible, it was definitely a surprise to find myself laughing throughout, as I don't remember finding the original text that funny.

The first Act runs for about an hour and 15 minutes, and I was completely gripped throughout.

I particularly loved how the cast cleverly presents two stories side by side on the stage, being Austen's novel and scenes from Ann Franklin's gothic drama The Mysteries of Udolpho, which Catherine obsesses over - it is truly a wonderful triumph at meta.

Now, it is not until the second Act that we are presented with the gothic theme when the story moves to the infamous Northanger Abbey, and YAT expertly used its stage setting, sound, lighting and backdrop to depict the gothic site.

Being only an hour, this Act is a faster pace, causing the audience to grip the edge of their seats throughout - a fun change from the society of balls and Regency presented in the first Act.

YAT's production of Northanger Abbey both celebrates Austen's typical 'will they, won't they' love story throughout the play, but at its heart, as is typical of an Austen plot, are themes of feminism and female friendship.

While I loved seeing the friendship between Catherine and Isabella in the first Act, it is the friendship between the protagonist and Eleanor that steals the show.

And Ward did an excellent job of portraying Eleanor, making her possibly the most likeable character and causing the audience to sympathise with her.

Thus, through excellent choreography, staging, lighting, sound, and of course, a marvellous cast, YAT did an amazing job of bringing Austen's novel to life, and with its gothic undertones, it truly is the perfect way to settle into the winter months.

And I am not the only one to have enjoyed the show, as Wednesday's packed-out audience thanked the cast with a standing ovation.

YAT's production of Northanger Abbey is running at Hampton Hill Theatre until Saturday, 14 November.

Tickets can be bought here.