When it comes to literary masterpieces, Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre' is towards the very top and nothing short of a timeless classic. It is intelligently written, always compelling and often moving, with Jane's psychological journey being one of the fascinating (though not always easy to put across) for any character perhaps in literature. Rochester is also a character that burns long in the memory and more complex than he seems.
It has been variably adapted, with my favourite being the 1973 mini-series and for reasons that are much more than that it is the most faithful adaptation. Just for the record, have never expected complete fidelity, especially when it comes to difficult books to adapt ('Jane Eyre' is one of those, though not among the very hardest), always look for how it's executed on its own terms and most adaptations of 'Jane Eyre' do well in this respect. Although the Zeffirelli film was dull and disappointed, the only misfire for me actually was the 1997 made for television film with Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton, with Pilot and Mrs Fairfax being the only characters to be treated with any degree of respect.
Hearing that 'Jane Eyre' had been adapted for stage immediately interested me, as there are numerous examples of literary classics translating well to stage. Also it was a National Theatre Live performance, and have gotten so much pleasure from going to the National Theatre Live live screenings (same with opera and ballet) at the cinema, have always loved their authentic atmosphere while being very accessible. Did worry though at first, 'Jane Eyre' is not a short book and works best as a mini-series. Did wonder as to whether such a great story and characters would be treated respectably, whether it would be interesting and accessible to those watching the live screenings with not much familiarity with the story beforehand with enough freshness and whether it would translate well to stage and with a just over three and a half hour running time (which did seem on the short side to me). To my relief, it did work. It turned out to be a great production that managed to be respectful to the source material while bringing some wildly inventive touches that didn't get in the way of the storytelling at all.
'Jane Eyre' fascinated visually and was very striking on the eyes. Ladders and platforms have seldom been used so inventively on stage and don't detract from the drama at all, proving to overcome any potential problems with scene changes. The costumes are well tailored and loved the claustrophobic look and feel of the Reed house and making Thornfield Hall so grand but also suitably dilapidated. The use of props are nimbly handled too. The lighting is highly atmospheric and the props are handled imaginatively, such as the stage coach. The music adds a lot to that atmosphere and is surprisingly hauntingly expressive.
From start to finish, the dialogue is intelligently adapted and has passion and emotion throughout. Was surprised at how amusing some of it was. The story is still the timeless one that 'Jane Eyre' fans know and love, and absolutely loved how the production portrayed Jane's psychological journey and character growth in every detail with remarkable nuance. Done by for example her inner thoughts being voiced out loud by more than one voice, that was clever in alternative to distracting. A great thing because it was emphasised heavily in the production. The stage direction is powerfully done, especially later on, and done with nuance and imagination, appealing brilliantly to newcomers and to die-hard fans. It didn't feel like it rushed through the story either, despite such a lot of detail to cover and the running time.
Madeleine Worall is the embodiment of Jane and Felix Hayes is rough around the edges and authoritative as Rochester. Their chemistry sizzles as it should, while the rest of the cast are just as great, some in more than one role. Standouts being Craig Edwards, particularly as Pilot, and Melanie Marshall's affecting Bertha.
Not everything is perfect. At times it could have been a little more restrained emotionally, there are tender moments in 'Jane Eyre' particularly with Jane and they don't feel tender enough. And although there is no bias against expletives (far from it, am no innocent myself when it comes to swearing) the one in Rochester's first appearance did take me out of the setting and felt misplaced compared to everything else in the production.
Altogether, fabulous. Took my sister and a close family friend to see it (again in my case) in the theatre when it came to the city we were living in when on tour and they loved it too. 9/10
