The Road to Resilience

Yesterday the Brontë Society had great news to share.

The Brontë Society, the charity that has protected and preserved the legacy of the Brontë family for over 130 years, has been awarded a grant of £232,058 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. As the Brontë Parsonage Museum looks towards its centenary in 2028, this funding will safeguard the Brontës’ internationally significant heritage for generations to come.  

As the Brontë Society’s collection has outgrown its current storage capacity, more comprehensive, secure and maintained storage is needed. Plans for the necessary creation of a new, purpose built, environmentally controlled space will now be progressed with the support of this funding, alongside the development of a site-wide masterplan that will include the Museum and a trio of buildings on West Lane, Haworth.

The funding project, entitled ‘The Road to Resilience’, will support several key elements for the Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum, through:

• The creation of new, bespoke storage and the relocation of what is an Arts Council England ‘Designated’ collection of over 8,000 objects - and the world’s largest collection of Brontë-related material
• Exploring the viability of conserving and re-using spaces in the recently acquired nearby historic buildings on West Lane.
• Documenting specialist curatorial expertise for the long-term benefit of staff, volunteers, researchers and visitors.

Rebecca Yorke, Director of the Brontë Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: “As we approach the Brontë Parsonage Museum's centenary in 2028, we have a responsibility not only to celebrate everything that has been achieved over the past one hundred years, but also to ensure this remarkable collection is protected for the next century and beyond.

“’The Road to Resilience’ is about laying those foundations. Through developing plans for improved, bespoke storage and preserving the specialist knowledge of our team through dedicated time spent capturing decades of expertise from the curatorial team, we can ensure the Brontës' extraordinary legacy continues to inspire staff, researchers, visitors and future generations.”

A part-time Project Curator has been recruited to oversee the sensitive relocation of the collections, coordinate updates to curatorial records and lead the capture of institutional knowledge as part of ‘The Road to Resilience’. During the process of transferring, logging and digitising the extensive collection, which features items used during the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne including early writings and drawings; poetry manuscripts and diary papers; correspondence; clothing; jewellery; locks of hair and household possessions; there will be opportunities for volunteers to engage with the collection.

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “The Brontës hold a special place in the literary heritage of England, so we are delighted to support the Brontë Society with a grant to work towards a strong and resilient future for the organisation and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. It is fantastic news that thanks to National Lottery players, the Society can now develop plans to shape its future and continue to inspire the next generation as it approaches its centenary.”

‘The Road to Resilience’ project is due to be delivered between autumn 2026-2027, ahead of the centenary year celebrations for the Museum.

Also reported by The Telegraph and Argus.

We have three reviews of the production of Jane Eyre at Northern Stage, Newcastle. Northern Arts Review gives it 5 stars:

Olivia Marcus as Jane Eyre was astounding. Her mannerisms perfectly portrayed an honest, “poor, obscure, plain, little Jane”. Her depiction of this wonderfully peculiar and lonely character had all the confusion and frustration of someone trapped in the wrong circumstances and time. Her Mr Rochester (Gabriel Akuwudike) was wickedly manipulative with a marked dark streak, although Akuwudike managed to add complexity in the way he depicted Mr Rochester’s underlying affection and vulnerability. Special mention must go to Andrea Gatchalian, who absolutely dazzled the audience with her multiple roles as Helen and Adele. Adorable Adele (Gatchalian) brought some much-needed opportunities for lightness and laughter, and her bouncy childish joy and silliness gave the performance a balance. Leo Wan as Brocklehurst was as sinister as can be and had me quaking in my boots. Overall, the cast were incredible and made the production seamless and captivating.

The staging was sparse, featuring almost all the action on huge steps. This allowed, and indeed needed, a well thought-out and clever use of the space. The steps allowed hierarchies to be immediately clear, as well as allowing the small cast of eight to hustle and bustle around, using vertical space to make the supporting cast seem more numerous. The choreography (Natasha Harrison) was stylised and worked really well to add a dreamlike quality to the production. Movement and repetition were also used very cleverly to mark the passing of time and depict the gruelling and thankless routines that built the early part of Jane’s life.

It’s so tricky to translate a novel to a stage, especially one that’s so heavy with inner monologue and a central, isolated character. However, the genius way that this production tackled that not only successfully achieved this goal, but it demonstrated a new depth to Jane Eyre’s character. Even with a relatively small cast, it often felt like there was a larger chorus due to the ever-changing costumes, characters and frequent stylised movement. Shadows and clever lighting (Sánchez Roldán) often enhanced the feeling that the cast were more numerous. Cast members also frequently stood at the sides, observing the action, giving the whole performance an eerie feel of some unknown spectator.

I will not give out any spoilers, but the climax of the performance was heart-stopping – even if you’re a Jane Eyre nerd like me and already know the ending! This show was all-out genius; from the direction to the adaptation, and from the lighting to every single member of the cast. A true-to-text production, with ongoing and occasionally explosive airs of madness, loneliness, self-doubt and secrets. This was truly a triumph! (Melina Turner-Deeks)

Voice gives it 3 stars out of 5:

It was during Jane’s wedding and Bertha's revenge that the set finally had its moment. Jane, wearing a long trailing veil, seamlessly gliding up to the top of the stairs, cut a striking image. Additionally, during Bertha’s last hurrah, the black staircase lit up as she stood basking in the flames, accompanied by a monologue from RAYE's Click Clack Symphony. Not only did this moment give Bertha’s character more depth and integrity, but it was also one of the most beautiful and memorable stage visuals I’ve witnessed. 

Ultimately, the production's intimate performances captured the tension and tenderness of Jane and Rochester's relationship and delivered some theatrical spectacles. I only wish that, for a story so rich in atmosphere, landscape and emotional depth, it had shown the same imagination and ambition in realising the world around Jane. (Ella Massey)

From Cultured. North East:

And suddenly, appearing as a light in the darkness, there’s a small figure in white ascending the staircase: Jane Eyre, about to relate her tale, or a shorter, impressionistic, techno-enhanced version of it.

Dear, indomitable Jane, dealt a poor hand in life but so sensible and likeable. Possibly my favourite literary heroine and possibly Charlotte Bronte’s thinly disguised self, since her novel was originally subtitled An Autobiography… and under the name Currer Bell, this being an age when female writers seeking publication had to bow to the patriarchy.

There is, you’ll be relieved to hear, acting as well.

I did, I confess, miss a few utterances amid the audio-storm, but Olivia Marcus quickly won me over, conveying Jane’s plucky forthrightness to the back of the auditorium. (David Whetstone)

We also have a couple of reviews of Lila Hassaine's JE. From L'Orient (France):

Jean Rhys avait déjà entrepris, dans La Prisonnière des Sargasses, de donner âme et voix à Antoinette Cosway. Quelques décennies plus tard, Lilia Hassaine tente, à son tour, de réhabiliter cette figure longtemps reléguée dans l’ombre. Revisiter un classique aussi emblématique que Jane Eyre est un défi considérable. Hassaine en restitue l’atmosphère gothique, mais son style peine parfois à traduire toute l’intensité du tumulte intérieur d’Antoinette, frôlant par moments le surplus d’informations au détriment d’un potentiel effet saisissant. (Roudy Darwich) (Translation)

From Biba:

Alors que la tendance est au thriller psychologique, l’autrice française Lilia Hassaine a frappé fort. Après son roman Panorama, elle vient de sortir son nouvel ouvrage aux éditions Gallimard, Je. Dans ce livre, elle aborde des sujets forts comme la manipulation mentale, le fameux gaslighting et les comportements pervers narcissiques, notamment dans la relation de couple. Une œuvre qui se situe à mi-chemin entre roman victorien et thriller intimiste contemporain. Pour cet ouvrage, elle s’est inspirée du personnage de la première femme de Rochester dans Jane Eyre, le roman culte de Charlotte Brontë. Elle lui donne ainsi une voix, un corps, une destinée. (Ava Skoupsky) (Translation)

Far Out Magazine looks into the influences of the film The Handmaiden on Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights. According to Koimoi, Jane Eyre 2011 (though it's a picture of Jane Eyre 2006) is one of the '5 Best Movies To Watch If You Loved Verity'. Jane Eyre is one of '8 Classic Books That Are Still Perfect From Start to Finish' according to Collider.