For a book that is so beloved by the British public, it is a wonder that it has taken so long for the UK premiere of this musical to happen. The show opened on Broadway in 2000 but it has taken 26 years to cross the Atlantic. For those unfamiliar with Charlotte Brontë’s gothic novel, it tells of Jane Eyre, orphaned at a young age and sent to live with her aunt and from there to a boarding school. She, however, yearns for more and sets out to discover herself in a job as a governess, where she meets her master, Mr Rochester. As the two begin to fall for each other, it appears that it is not just their inability to admit their feelings for each other that stand in their way.
The book is adapted by John Caird and, working with such wonderful source material, it is difficult to go wrong. This adaptation does a solid job of keeping in the elements of mystery and intrigue that surround Mr Rochester and his house; however, the first part of the show floundered slightly for purpose, especially the segment whilst she was at boarding school. Whilst it is an opportunity to really understand Jane’s character in depth, this missed the mark slightly and it was hard to reconcile the younger version of Jane with the Jane we were presented with upon her arrival at Thornfield Hall.
The direction at times was intriguing, with the ensemble commenting on the action as it unfolded at the beginning and at the very end of the piece. It was an interesting concept which could have been a creative way to provide commentary and insight as the show developed, but it felt like it was soon forgotten, only to come back briefly at the end.
The music by Paul Gordon was, on the whole, rousing and sung beautifully, with a few numbers that I would be keen to hear again, in particular Secret Soul and Brave Enough For Love. However, many of the numbers have a very similar feel and sound to them, and more variety in both content and tone would have benefitted the show.
The cast was packed full of performers I have seen previously and always admired, and their appearance in Jane Eyre continues their success. Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour play Jane Eyre and Rochester and they were utterly convincing as a pair struggling to repress their feelings for each other, with their chemistry being one of the most exciting things about the piece. Both of them sang beautifully and had voices that I could listen to for hours. Young Jane Eyre and Adele were played by Emily-Rose Samuel in the version I saw and she was a joy to watch on stage, with clear verve and vigour to both young Jane and Adele’s characters.
The set and costumes by Morgan Large were well considered for the show, with the twisted branches of Thornfield Hall’s great tree framing sketched projections. The projections were an effective way to create everything from the halls of Thornfield Hall to the Moors. Equally, the costumes were beautifully thought out, with the cast clad entirely in black with the occasional flash of white at a moment of significance. Many of the characters played multiple roles and the simple base layer of black also allowed them to simply change a jacket or accessory to transform into a different character. James Whiteside’s lighting did an effective job of creating some of the harder moments to portray in an intimate theatre as well as adding to the mood of the piece well.
Ultimately, there is plenty to admire in this production of Jane Eyre. The performances are strong, the chemistry between Burn and Gilmour is compelling and the design creates a suitably gothic world for the story to unfold within. For me, however, the production didn’t quite reach the heights that its source material and cast promised, with the early part of Jane’s story and the similarity between some of the musical numbers holding it back slightly. I however found myself wanting the production to make me care about Jane’s journey as much as I cared about Jane and Rochester and for some of the more interesting ideas to be carried throughout the rest of the piece, With such a strong cast and such rich source material, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that there was more to this Jane Eyre waiting to be unlocked.
Jane Eyre is on at Southwark Playhouse until 24th October. You can book tickets and find out more here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Mousetrap, The Play That Goes Wrong and Hadestown.