Blackeyed Theatre’s ‘Jane Eyre’ returns to the stage
Harriet Clifford
Friday, October 16, 2020
Blackeyed Theatre has announced that its production of ‘Jane Eyre’ will return for two public performances on 3 and 4 November at the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell, then will be available to stream on demand.
Having been forced to close on 16 March due to the coronavirus pandemic, the production was unable to continue for its remaining 13 weeks of performance, but was still seen by over 19,000 people in 40 towns and cities across the UK.
Charlotte Brontë's novel has been adapted for stage by Nick Lane and the production is directed by Blackeyed Theatre artistic director Adrian McDougall, with musical direction by Ellie Verkerk. It features original music by George Jennings and stars Kelsey Short, Ben Warwick, Camilla Simson, Eleanor Toms and Oliver Hamilton.
Adrian McDougall said, ‘Bringing Jane Eyre back to the stage at such a precarious time for the theatre industry is an important step for us. There's a real hunger among the cast and artistic team to get back to what we love doing, and among audiences for that shared live experience. We achieved it in September with Jekyll & Hyde and the feeling was extraordinary.
‘It shows what can be achieved and the benefits to artists, audiences and venues. Investing in people by continuing to create in a sustainable way is more important now than it’s ever been. As an industry we all share that responsibility, because without the individuals who create the work, we’re nothing.’
Last month, Blackeyed Theatre live-streamed their production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde to homes all over the UK, while performing the show to a socially-distanced audience at the Wilde Theatre. This performance will be available on demand soon.
Jane Eyre is recommended for age 11+ and runs for 130 minutes plus interval. It will play at 7.45pm on 3 and 4 November and tickets cost £21 with concessions available.
The following Blackeyed Theatre productions are currently online for schools:
Book tickets for Jane Eyre at www.southhillpark.org.uk