Review: JANE EYRE - Southwark Playhouse Elephant (12/09/26)

Long-awaited UK debut finds perfect balance between emotional and narrative clarity

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There are long waits, and then there is John Caird and Paul Gordon's musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's seminal work "Jane Eyre", which finally made its London premiere a neat 30 years after it first performed to audiences in Toronto. And whilst early stagings have been huge, sprawling, big budget productions, this new iteration, co-directed by Caird and broadway actor turned director Megan McGinnis, shifts the focus completely, in a much more stripped back and intimate presentation that really pushes the novel's deeply personal nature.

For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with the original work of Victorian gothic fiction, the story and character of Jane Eyre are considered revolutionary by literary commentators, as Brontë did what had previously been seldom seen in literature, giving a central female protagonist an intense, unabridged voice to express herself, as well as the warranty to shape her own destiny, rather than allowing her to be defined by the men in her life. The orphaned young girl, who grows up into a fiercely independent woman, tells of her life and times through a first person perspective, from the often tyrannical authority figures whom shaped her formative years, to her relationship with Mr Rochester, what is maintained throughout is her sense of autonomy.

Charlie Burn and the company of "Jane Eyre" (credit: Victoria Davies)

Set designer Morgan Large has kept things simple but effective, with a distinctive gothic ambience ever present through sprawling tree branches, various costumes adorning either side, and a banner encircling the stage featuring direct quotes from Brontë's novel; the costumes themselves, monochrome in design, have all the hallmarks of Victorian gothic fashion, with some stunning attention to detail. Additionally, Ryan Samuel Davies' video and projection contributions add superbly to the aesthetic and overall eeriness, well and truly transporting us to the 19th century Yorkshire moors.

What really helps convey the intimacy of the story beautifully is how, between representational material, we have excerpts of Jane's own words recited in turn between every other member of the company, which both bolsters the personal, solemn nature of the text, and acts as a delightfully clever means of transitioning between scenes without feeling like it's grinding to a halt, moving the narrative forward with ease. This makes the show especially palatable for those whom may not be familiar with Brontë's original story, as director McGinnis clearly understands the source material, working splendidly with the show's writer Caird to maximise both the emotional weight and the clarity of the storytelling.

Tasked with bringing such a literary leviathan to life, Charlie Burn is the perfect Jane, bringing a great deal of strength yet solemnity to the role, ever present but never overpowering in her unwavering convictions, and proving she has marvellous vocal versatility. She should also be highly commended for her immensely impressive stamina, as due to the personal nature of the story, there are precious few occasions when Jane herself is not on stage in someway, shape or form, and Burn turns in a showing of staggering authenticity and warmth.

Charlie Burn and the company of "Jane Eyre" (credit: Victoria Davies)

There is a wonderful sense of steadfastness to how Ashley Gilmour portrays Rochester, we are drawn to him like a moth to a flame, yet we are never lulled into believing him to be the perfect man, as his inherent blemishes and imperfections are a boon to him, rather than being seen as an impediment. Gilmour hits this balance between dreamy yet deeply flawed, and though he's depicted as the archetypal alpha male, this is done with an almost total absence of ego, which works excellently for this iteration of the story.

So many other members of this company are exceedingly praiseworthy, from Isabelle Methven's brief but hugely emotionally impactful take on early childhood friend Helen, to young Poppy Jason's dual role of young Jane and Adele, displaying acting maturity and versatility beyond her years. There is plenty to love about this first UK staging of this musical adaptation of a timeless classic, with a distinctively sinister yet beautiful visual palate, a stunning score by Caird and Gordon that has the story at its very heart, and direction that has deliberately scaled back the production value to better express the story's in-built intimacy.

★★★★☆ (4*)

"Jane Eyre" runs at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until the 24th of October (tickets)

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