Brontë adaptations

Epigram reviews Brave Mirror’s stage production of Jane Eyre at Cotham Parish Church, in Bristol:

Elsa Rae Llewelyn delivers a phenomenal portrayal of Jane that is captivating and compelling throughout. Llewelyn’s performance anchors the piece, she captures Jane’s commitment to justice, unwavering honesty and emotional resilience beautifully.

Her performance is bolstered by the slick and skillful ensemble whose carefully choreographed movements create bold visual storytelling. The use of lighting, sound and narration is effective, with the depiction of Jane in the red room proving especially powerful.

The show is at its best when it explores Jane as a character and the female allies that shape her into the woman she becomes. Jane Eyre is widely considered one of the first feminist novels, and this production emphasises the theme of female emancipation. Ella Hughes-Reeder and Holly Bancroft are particularly impressive in their huge variety of roles. Both demonstrate versatility and believability in the array of characters they portray.

The storytelling is clear, though sometimes sparse and lacking a point of view in Jamie Saul’s adaptation. The essence of the characters is conveyed but sometimes the nuance is lost in this stripped back retelling. Unfortunately, the iconic romance between Jane and Mr Rochester is somewhat taken for granted, their relationship is not fully explored, and feels rushed at times. While this allows for further exploration of Jane’s character, it’s unfortunate that this comes at the expense of the romance.

The costuming is a little imprecise, which confuses the style of the piece. Some costume seems representative and almost Brechtian, for example the veils, whereas some is more traditional period costume, like Mr Rochester’s outfit. Both styles could work, but not simultaneously.

The second half of the production does not always live up to the dramatic potential created in act one. However, the piece still reaches a moving and satisfying conclusion. Act Two introduces singing, which seems to come out of the blue. However, it is effective and it offers a folksy twist that I think could’ve been explored further. While some of the potential in this production is unfulfilled, it is clear that all involved do have talent in spades.

This production has been a long time in the making, and the hard work from all the cast and crew is evident in the piece. All involved should be really proud of what they’ve accomplished, particularly during the pandemic. If you’re back in Bristol ahead of Welcome Week and are looking to get back into theatre, this show is well worth the watch. (Anna Sharp)

Stuff (New Zealand) reports that the unforgettable (not for the right reasons) 2015 Wuthering High School is now streaming on TVNZ OnDemand.

Wuthering High School

If it's the Beatles vs the Stones, it's Austen vs the Brontës, and I am Team Brontë all the way. Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite gothic novels, and that made this so much worse.

Wuthering High School is supposed to be an adaptation of the book.

Yes, they riffed on the title. Yes, they have characters with the same names. And that’s about it. From the get-go, Heathcliff is a psychopath, Cathy is utterly hopeless, and Clint Eastwood's daughter plays her usual role of a woman of loose morals and no acting ability.

I don’t know how they got James Caan to agree to be in this – blackmail?

Wuthering High School doesn’t echo any of the book's original themes; the script is appalling, and the acting is worse. If I were mean, I’d recommend it as a study guide just to teach people who watch the movie instead of the book a lesson. (Sarah McMullan)

Le Devoir (Canada) recommends Netflix's La cocinera de Castamar.

Cet été, j’ai dévoré La cocinera de Castamar sur Netflix, un mélange de Jane Eyre et de Downton Abbey en plus olé olé, campé au XVIIIe siècle en Espagne. (Josée Blanchette) (Translation)

A couple of Wuthering Heights-related memories. From Fox Sports:

On the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1971, I sat in a classroom at Vanderbilt University in a very old building called Old Science, watching Dr. Condor chain-smoke as he lectured on star-crossed lovers Catherine and Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights." The course was called 19th Century British Literature. I was a sophomore majoring in English and History.

As soon as class was adjourned at 2 p.m., I literally ran to my car parked in the frat lot, tank full, ready for takeoff. Into the first of four gears I shifted my white '67 Camaro SS 350. I was not going to miss the "Game of the Century," now less than 24 hours away on Thanksgiving Day in Norman, Oklahoma. (Skip Bayless)

And from Far Out magazine:

Of course, I had been aware of Bush’s work for some time. I was blessed with a musically minded family who was as happy for me to gorge on radio and MTV for experimentation and education as they were for me to soda stream my milk (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it). Bush’s track ‘Wuthering Heights’ had been pronounced as “one of the greatest songs ever written” during one particularly lovelorn day for my older brother. Her visually enveloping, but somewhat scary to a child, videos were a mainstay of the ‘classic rock’ channels of our low-level Sky TV subscription that seemed to provide a lifeforce to all of us who watched it — but Kate Bush just never clicked with me. (Jack Whatley)

A columnist from Enid News & Eagle recalls how her interest in the Brontës was sparked.

I love historical fiction, especially if it’s based on actual people from history. I remember when I came across Syrie James’ “The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte,” a historical fiction novel based on Bronte’s life. It mixes in a lot of historical facts but it’s told in a fictional world. So began my interest in reading anything by — or about — the Brontes. (Michaelene Malan)

Les Trois (France) tells about a forthcoming event to take place during the Livres dans la Boucle festival in Besançon.

Des lectures de romans illustrant la symbolique des cinq éléments que sont l’air (« Les Hauts de Hurle-Vent », d’Emily Brontë), l’eau (« Le vieil homme et la mer », d’Ernest Hemingway), la terre (« Les raisins de la colère » de John Steinbeck), le feu (« La guerre du feu », de J.-H. Rosny aîné) et l’espace (« Le Petit Prince », d’Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), seront également au programme. (Translation)

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is one of '5 weird books that are totally worth reading' according to Times of India. Sheffield Telegraph recommends a day out in Hathersage mentioning its Jane Eyre connection. Le Monde (France) and Daily Mail both feature Emma Mackey and comment on the fact that she has recently portrayed Emily Brontë.