Jane Eyre in Norwich

Today, December 4, opens in Norwich a new adaptation of Jane Eyre in two parts:

University of East Anglia Drama Studio presents
Jane Eyre
Directors Holly Maples and Sophie Vaughan

The University of East Anglia’s third year Drama students are proud to present a unique two-part adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ this December

Reinventing traditional ‘period drama’, this large ensemble cast brings together original music, dance and a brand new script to produce a chillingly dark adaptation of the classic tale. Each volume- although half of a whole- stands apart to show different aspects of Jane’s journey; creating two new plays, unmissable viewed together or alone.

Volume I follows Jane Eyre, a young girl with strength and determination who overcomes her bleak childhood to find love and comfort in the shape of the mysterious Mr Rochester. But he hides a dark secret and Jane is forced to choose between her beliefs and her chance of happiness.

Volume II is the story of a traumatised Jane found homeless and vagrant, wandering across the moors and trying to run away from her troubled past. But what is it that happened at Thornfield? Who is this character, St John, who appears to have such an interest in Jane? And will she ever find a way to be reunited with her true love?

The show will run from the 4th-8th December with the following schedule:

4th December- 7:30pm - VOLUME I        5th December-7:30pm -VOLUME II
6th December-7:30pm- VOLUME I          7th December- 7:30pm- VOLUME II
8th December- 2:00pm -VOLUME I          8th December- 7:30pm - VOLUME II

You can check the production's trailer, Twitter and website, including this interview with the directors published on Concrete:

What should the audience expect from this interpretation of Jane Eyre?
HM: We want people to be on the edge of their seats. We have tried to create an experimental play, where the audience enter Jane’s world, where they feel her fear and her sadness.
We wanted to create and enter world of that period without it becoming traditional, romanticised or sentimental by bringing back the harsh reality, a far cry from the contained adaptations of BBC.
The novel was considered so controversial at the time, we wanted to ask how to instil the same shock in a society that is now desensitised to the harsh reality Jane would have had to face. (Amy Cornwell)