Review: Northern Ballet’s JANE EYRE, Sadler’s Wells - Tour
Photo credit: Colleen Mair
Based on the book by Charlotte Brontë, with original compositions by Phillip Feeney, this ballet tells the story of Jane Eyre.
Hated by her aunt and sent to a religious school, quick-witted Jane is raised to be a governess and finds herself posted to Thornfield Hall. Here, she meets Mrs Fairfax, the scatty housekeeper, and the brooding, seemingly single Mr Rochester. As she adjusts to her new life, Jane gets the feeling that not everything is as it seems…
The show had its world premiere in 2016 at Cast Theatre in Doncaster. It then made its debut in America in 2019 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. This year, it has returned for a tour around the UK, first arriving at Leeds Grand Theatre in March. It has also been performed at Nottingham Theatre Royal and the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre. The show's tour is due to finish at the Norwich Theatre Royal later this month.
The design of the show is very much in keeping both with the time period and gothic setting of the novel. Sketches of monochrome hills fill the back wall and moveable panels, giving the stage space great depth and paying reference to the character of Jane Eyre’s skills as a sketch artist.
The costumes are a beautiful combination of stereotypical ballet attire and period specific clothing, with the status of the characters being signified by their dress. The D-Men’s costumes, in particular, look pale and ethereal, blending in with the natural scenery and standing out amidst the more concrete world, which is a clever choice as it gives the audience clarity between the male spirits which haunt Jane inside her head, and the male dominated real world in which Jane lives.
The music composition is perfect, especially from the perspective of the non-avid ballet watcher, because it enables the audience to track the plot of the show through its tone, pace, pitch and variation. It has a classical style, which is in keeping with the time period, and is very atmospheric. Much like in musical theatre, the music is essential to the storytelling and movement. It flows with the dancing on the stage, creating a beautifully dramatic blend.
Ballet being a predominantly, stereotypically voiceless medium, it's interesting to see how it works as an adaptation of a vocally empowered and passionate book. Director and choreographer Cathy Marston has done an exceptionally good job at giving this piece a loud and strong voice purely through the movement of the dancers. This comes across through both attention to detail within the form and the cast's bodily acting abilities. Facial expressions work in perfect tandem with the dancing and the music to further enhance the storytelling, making the show’s plot very easy to understand and follow.
It must be said that of all of the dancers, Gemma Coutts is by far the most interesting to watch. She dances the role of Bertha, Rochester’s secret wife, with power and elegant ferocity. She lurks in the dark, barely making a sound, watching Jane fall in love with Rochester from afar and when she strikes, she gives it her all. Her dancing is technically flawless, fast paced, intense, striking and animalistic at times, especially during the scenes where she dances amidst flames (which are created using coloured lights and haze, giving them a surprisingly delicate and attractive look). She may not feature much compared to the other dancers but she is definitely one to watch.
Joseph Taylor’s performance as Rochester is also especially noteworthy due to his carefully considered dance when Rochester goes blind. This scene is memorable and beautiful beyond belief. We are captivated watching as Jane shows Rochester that his blindness doesn’t phase her, she loves him all the same. Taylor doesn’t overplay this performance of blindness, he gives it a gentle and disorienting quality whilst also allowing his character moments of grief, as portrayed through moments of stillness and physically insular movements, and moments showing an attempt to reassert his former able-bodied, masculine identity as he battles with the loss of his sight.
Thoughtful storytelling, which is extremely well considered. Breathtaking and exquisite to watch.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Megan O’Neill
