Review: JANE EYRE, Theatre Royal Windsor - Tour
Photo credit: Christopher Phillips
Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre: An Autobiography was published in 1847 under her pen name Currer Bell and has since become a classic and an established part of the GCSE English literature syllabus. It is frequently adapted for the stage as it makes a valuable title to attract those current school kids studying it and of course, all of those adults with memories of their own studies. It is 38 chapters long so there is a lot of plot starting in June 1809 to consider in adapting it and inevitably some scenes must be omitted to produce a reasonable running length.
Nick Young and Ross Muir have written the Conn Artists Theatre play, staged in association with Theatre Royal Winchester, for this current autumn tour (mainly one-night visits), which we caught at the Theatre Royal Windsor this week. The story breaks down into three main elements. Jane’s unhappy childhood in Gateshead Hall with the bullying John and heartless Mrs Reed, and her eight years stay at Lowood School as pupil and teacher in which her friendship develops with the consumptive Helen. Then, at the age of 18, Jane moves to Thornfield Hall where she becomes a Governess to the young French girl, Adele, and her relationship with Rochester develops before the meetings with Richard and Bertha Mason and Blanche Ingram bring an end to the developing romance. Then, finally her leaving Thornfield and after a one-hundred-mile journey, meeting in the most ludicrous coincidence with her saviour from the moors by St John Rivers who is a family member of her own distant uncle, John Eyre. The story is staged as if we are reading Jane’s diary with characters reading aloud from red books, so it necessarily creates an episodic structure with a lot of exposition from the diary reflecting the style of the original novel.
Evie Depledge is virtually on stage throughout as Jane Eyre, a determined, self-willed, principled and independent woman. She speaks with a strong clear voice with a sympathetic and caring heart as she navigates the challenges thrown at her. Opposite her, Ross Muir plays Edward Rochester as a brooding strong man in a wild wig, who she first meets when he is thrown from his horse (just off stage). The romance is a slow burner. He is aloof and distant at first, but we sense the battle of two equals. Jane rather too quickly answers his question “Do you find me handsome? “with a “No”. The chemistry between them never quite comes to the fore, although the audience do react with pleasure at their eventual first kiss.
There is good support from Erin Maria Walther, first as poor Helen, then the bouncing excitable Adele, followed by the slightly reluctant Diana Rivers, and from Janna Fox as the unpleasant Aunt Reed, the housekeeper Mrs Fairfax, snooty gold digger Blanche and the deranged Bertha Mason. Edward Smith plays the other male characters of the bully, John Reed, the Lowood director, Mr Brocklehurst, visitor Mr Richard Mason, and the clergyman St John Rivers. Each is very different in character and demeanour, and they simply and effectively create each persona with appropriate costume changes.
The set design by Laura Kimber raises more questions and offers little to help set all the different locations. Large white blocks covered in handwritten words may suggest the diary we are being read from but are required to act as beds, chairs and tables in different scenes, while the large letter ‘N’ upstage covered in the same design is simply a distraction. The cast are required to mime door openings and the fragments of curtain each side of the stage seem out of place. There is neither a unity to the design nor a sense of the individual locations. The lighting too is inconsistent and patchy with the cast sometimes disappearing in shadows and the fire scenes lacking in drama. It is clearly designed for a quick set up on tour, but the Theatre Royal Windsor should expect higher production standards.
This is a classic epic tale and there is enough here translated to the stage to satisfy Jane Eyre fans and those studying the text. It always helps understand and appreciate the writing to see it acted out in front of you, and the cast do a good job in conveying the characters and story. And at £30 for good seat, you can’t expect very high production values these days, so whether you have read the book or not, we suggest it is a very accessible and entertaining way to discover or rediscover this classic tale.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne