IT’S ONE of the most famous stories of all time and next week it’s being revived for two performances only.
Blackeyed Theatre were touring with their production of Jane Eyre when lockdown hit. But on Tuesday and Wednesday, they will be reviving the show, with the same cast, for a socially distanced performance.
It will also be available on demand.
The tour had been going well – it had played to more than 19,000 people in 40 venues across the country and plans were in place to take the show to China. Coronavirus had other ideas though.
So next week’s shows will bring some closure to the cast as they can take their final curtain call.
It comes after last month’s revival of Blackeye’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, which was also performed at South Hill Park’s Wilde Theatre.
Adrian McDougall, artistic director of Blackeyed Theatre and director of Jane Eyre, said: “Bringing the play back to the stage at such a precarious time for the theatre industry is an important step.
“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.”
The performance of Jane Eyre features Kelsey Short, who is looking forward to being back on stage, even if the rehearsal time will be short and to the point.
“We will only have one day in rehearsal on Tuesday and then have the show in the evening, which is being filmed. It’s basically us getting back together with our lines,” she says.
“We did the show for eight months, so all of it is already there, it’s already honed: the story, the journey, we all know all that stuff. For me, it’s all muscle memory, as soon as you get back into it, it all comes.”
And she is loving her role: “It’s a big deal because for some many people it’s their favourite story, I’ve hot such big shoes to fill. She’s a great character.”
Kelsey says that the show includes live music, a couple of songs and it is a “raw and real representation of the story”.
She adds: “Nick Lane, who did the adaptation, comes from a comedy background, so there’s really nice light elements that come through as well, a nice contrast to the deep and dark.”
The tour had been something that Kelsey was loving, enjoying being able to engage with audiences everywhere she went, especially as she feels that Jane Eyre still resonates today.
“She’s a strong, independent woman. What she wants is what she’ll strive for and no one will ever get in her path,” she says. “I think that’s so true for women today.”
And returning to the stage is a thrill:
“I’m so excited,” Kelsey says. “It’s going to be very surreal. Last weekend, I went to see a friend of mine at a theatre, with social distancing. To be in an audience again, watching people performing, it just got that fire going. I’m so excited that I can do this next week.
“It’s an escapism, Jane Eyre is such an incredible story, but the way that we portray it, I think it’s so magical with the music, which adds such a different layer to it. With the sparseness of the set, it’s just so raw and real. If you want that experience, come and see the show.”
Jane Eyre is performed at South Hill Park on Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4, at 7.45pm. Tickets £21, with concessions available. An on demand stream will be available from Sunday, November 15. For more information, visit: www.southhillpark.org.uk
