Massive Impacts

The Northern Ballet publishes an advertisement of their upcoming Jane Eyre touring production in the Harrogate Advertiser:

In an unmissable production, Charlotte Brontë’s classic tale of Jane Eyre is being brought to life in spectacular style by the Northern Ballet in Leeds and Sheffield.

Renowned company Northern Ballet is proud to bring this tale of passion and rebellion home to Yorkshire.

Delighting ballet enthusiasts as well as first-time ballet audiences, the acclaimed production is at Leeds Grand Theatre from March 14 – 22 and Sheffield Lyceum from April 22 - 26 – book tickets here.

Their signature mix of exquisite dancing and theatrical drama, make their unmissable productions accessible yet complex, bringing intrigue and entertainment.

Choreographed and directed by Cathy Marston, this new production is accompanied by live music by Philip Feeney – and has received glowing reviews.

“Cathy Marston displays a novelist’s touch in layering characters in her wonderfully choreographed show for Northern Ballet,” said The Guardian, whilst the Telegraph reviewer enthused: “Northern Ballet’s new Jane Eyre is a beautiful and expressive tribute to Brontë.”

The Yorkshire Post reviewer gave it five stars, saying: “Jane Eyre has been reimagined a thousand times before, but maybe never quite so perfectly as this production by Northern Ballet.”

Joseph Taylor explains how he feels in the role of Mr Rochester: “I see Jane Eyre as physical theatre production or a silent play told through dance. Not your traditional classical tutu but a modern way of bringing a classic story to life through the medium of art. It pushes the boundaries of where narrative ballet is in the 21st century.

“We always have a great fan base in Leeds and the Leeds Grand Theatre is such a beautiful venue. It feels so fitting for the ballet to be performed in Yorkshire, so close to where the Brontës grew up and took inspiration for their timeless novels.”

Dominique Larose who is playing Jane Eyre, said: “I am deeply drawn to Jane as a character. While she is often described as ‘plain’, she is anything but. Her quiet strength, resilience and generosity shine vividly through the choreography, making her an inspiring and multifaceted role to embody.”

She added: “One moment I’m especially looking forward to is dancing the final pas de deux, where Rochester is blind. The music in this section is incredibly powerful and deeply moving, which adds an extra layer of emotion to the choreography. It’s such a poignant conclusion to their story, and I can’t wait to bring that depth and intensity to life through both movement and music.”

Yorkshire Life joins in the recommendation:

Make a date with Jane Eyre in March – not on the moors at Haworth but on stage in Leeds with Northern Ballet's critically acclaimed Jane Eyre.

It promises romance, jealousy and dark secrets galore as brilliant dance actors bring Charlotte Brontë’s gothic masterpiece to life in this masterful portrayal of Yorkshire's ultimate heroine. Experience the unexpected twists and turns of one woman’s life from the dreary school room to a towering manor house and the sweeping Yorkshire moors with heart-stirring choreography and live music that captures the essence of her timeless tale. (Beth Windsor)

The News & Star asks Georgia O'Sullivan, manager of the bookstore Bookends in Carlisle, for feminist book recommendations: 

For Georgia O’Sullivan, manager of Bookends, it was Michelle Paver’s immersive storytelling and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre that shaped her literary world: "Michelle Paver and Charlotte Brontë both had a massive impact on me as a child. (...)

“Jane Eyre was the first 'grown up' book I ever read and it felt very modern.

“Having such a timid, plain, but determined woman as a main character was really inspiring to me especially in times that were even more difficult for women." (Ollie Rowlinson)

Deutsche Welle's Living Planet devotes an audio piece to Yorkshire, examining the profound connection between the county's dramatic landscapes and the Brontë sisters' literary legacy. The episode explores how Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë grew up in the early 1800s roaming the rugged moorlands near their parsonage home in Haworth.  According to Paul Crossley, a volunteer at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Emily understood the powerful moods of nature and reportedly described this landscape as where "she felt the veil between earth and heaven was at its thinnest." 

The Times of India lists some female authors for Women's Day 2025:

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

Another iconic and timeless classic, 'Jane Eyre' will always remain unforgettable. It is the life and story of Jane, an orphan girl who is strong-willed and wishes nothing more than independance. (Aakanksha Sharma)

Some other Women's Day recommendations. Wuthering Heights in Cadena SER Albacete (Spain), El Sol de Tampico (México). InStyle (México) mentions the use of pseudonyms by the Brontës to hide their sex.

A couple of Brontë references in this article in The Hindu:

But the tendency to anthropomorphise nature is universal in literature, irrespective of language. There is King Lear howling on the heath as the storm rages, the turmoil in nature an objective correlative of the upheaval in his old heart. Ditto with the unquiet spirits of Catherine and Heathcliff eternally walking the wind-torn heaths of Wuthering Heights. (...)

And, in this birth centenary year of Hindi writer Krishna Sobti, don’t miss the deeply-felt essay on the transgressive author who could not be silenced. Amritesh Mukherjee writes here: “Hindi literature had a script for women: they longed quietly, suffered beautifully, sacrificed without complaint. Desire—if acknowledged at all—was something to endure, not pursue. Then came Mitro [Sobti’s heroine], who shredded the script. She is fire, bare skin, unfiltered hunger. She demands. She takes.” I can hear all the defiant women of literature from Draupadi to Jane Eyre to bell hooks here—lashing like rain, scorching like fire. (Anusua Mukherjee)

Also in The Hindu, on bookworms:

 Let us address the secretive nature of our obsession first. God forbid anyone should find out you are a bookworm. You can already hear it — the dreaded question: “What’s your favourite book?” Cue the existential crisis. “Do I have a favourite book? When was the last time I read a book? Was that a book or a magazine? What is a book?”

The mind starts racing as the other person waits for your answer. “Hmmm, I liked Harry Potter. But isn’t that a children’s book? Maybe I should say something sophisticated, like Wuthering Heights. Well, I did doze off a dozen times trying to finish it. Who wrote it? Jane Eyre? No, that is the name of the other book. Then who was the heroine of Wuthering Heights? Aarrghh! The Brontë sisters!” (Chanchala Borah)

The Sunday Dispatch describes like this a local production of the musical Jekyll & Hyde:

Part of the freshness of this production is a brooding color scheme that might make you think of the rainy, windswept moors of “Wuthering Heights.” (Mary Therese Biebel)

Glamour Magazine (Spain) highlights how fashion trends in 2025 shift from Jane Austen's light romanticism to Emily Brontë's darker, complex gothic aesthetic as designers draw inspiration from Wuthering Heights. But the article goes far beyond that, integrating the current political trends, the centennials' obsessions, and an insightful reading of the novel. 

Uno de los grandes aciertos de Emily Brontë fue atreverse a crear una obra en la que los actores principales se entregaban a la crueldad y a la autosatisfacción de sus deseos. Hablando claro: sus protagonistas no nos caían bien, no eran ejemplares, y por eso nos encantaban. La misma razón por la que los críticos de la época despreciaron la novela, que no respetaba las condiciones habituales de moralidad -ni de la estructura, ¿una novela con dos narradores? ¿Qué era eso?-. A Heathcliff y a Cathy no los movían inquietudes de beatitud, precisamente; no buscaban la excelencia a la hora de cumplir códigos o normas sociales. Resultaban incómodos, difíciles de comprender. Inusuales. Peligrosos. Incluso en su forma de salirse de la senda establecida eran distintos a las mujeres de Jane Austen, que podían cuestionar su manera de encajar en la sociedad, pero siempre desde la inteligencia y la esperanza, sin el cinismo y la falta de escrúpulos que acosaban a los personajes de Brontë. Porque Cumbres Borrascosas no es en realidad un drama victoriano, aunque se ubique en esa época, sino un libro de espíritu profundamente Romántico, al menos en lo que respecta a la idea de “lo sublime” de la naturaleza y su crueldad, así como a las pasiones del alma humana. Heathcliff no es Mr. Darcy. No es un perfecto caballero y, probablemente, satisfará más las expectativas de aquellas que se han deleitado con el Nosferatu winter que a las que se divirtieron con el colorido brat summer. (Arancha Gamo) (Translation)

Mathrubhumi's word of the day is coruscant and an example from Jane Eyre is quoted. Sören Heim – Lyrik und Prosa (in German) discusses (and he is not very impressed by) Jane Eyre. On The House of Brontë, Nick Holland reviews Agnes Grey.