Literary scholar Watson explores in his vivid debut biography the mystery and sensation that surrounded Charlotte Brontë. He begins with an account of how literary London was gripped by the publication of Jane Eyre—Brontë released the book under the male pseudonym Currer Bell, but those in the know, including novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, were privy to rumors that Bell was a woman. Watson details how Gaskell ferreted out Bell’s real identity through mutual contacts and arranged a meeting with Brontë, beginning a yearslong correspondence that would prove foundational in the creation of the Brontë mystique. Piecing together letters collected from Brontë’s friends, family, and publishers, Watson deftly shows how the painfully introverted Brontë manipulated anecdotes from her “comfortless childhood” into “a story of self-justification and self-glorification honed over years.” Brontë died during a difficult pregnancy in 1855, just five years after she and Gaskell met. Her death led to a scramble among her friends to profit from their proximity to her and touched off conflicts over how best to shape the narrative of her life. Watson masterfully covers the contentious biography Gaskell wrote, which she had to rewrite twice to placate those upset about their portrayal. This fast-moving account of literary fame satisfies.
Contemporary choreography and imaginative sets make the Northern Ballet’s Jane Eyre a compelling retelling of the classic love story.The ballet still feels fresh nearly a decade after it was first performed by the company in 2016.This captivating adaptation of the famous Charlotte Brontë novel combines elements of gothic mystery with romance and passion.The prologue throws the audience straight into the narrative with Jane tormented by figments of her imagination – represented by male dancers – before collapsing and being discovered by St. John Rivers.The story then takes us through Jane’s life, from her unhappy upbringing as an orphan in her wealthy aunt’s household and later as a schoolgirl enduring the rigid regime at Lowood Institution.At the end of the first act, Jane has taken a position as governess at Thornfield Hall where she meets and falls in love with her employer, Mr Rochester.The second act develops the love story between the couple – but Jane’s happiness turns to heartbreak when Mr Rochester’s wife, a mad woman who he tries to keep hidden – appears on their wedding day.In her despair, Jane flees the house and – taking the audience in full circle to the opening – she runs across the desolate moors until collapsing and being rescued by St. John Rivers.As with the novel, Jane and Mr Rochester are happily reunited in the final act.Music performed live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia - along with special effects, lighting and masterful choreography by Cathy Marston - helps the dancers to skilfully convey the story’s complex emotions. (Derin Clark)
Members of the Banagher Brontë Group were in exalted company last week when they met Queen Camilla in Yorkshire, England.James Scully and Nicola Daly of the Group travelled over for the official opening of the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton, a duty which was performed by the Queen.“Thornton is a village between Haworth and Bradford in Yorkshire,” explained James, when speaking afterwards with the Tribune. “Both Myself and Nicola were invited to attend the ceremonies (at short notice due to security surrounding the event) but we were allowed to meet the monarch at close quarters, chat with her and give a resumé of the strong association between Banagher and the Brontë family. Queen Camilla is a very keen Brontë admirer and was surprised at the detail and strength of the link between the Bells of Banagher and the Brontës of Haworth.”At the end of the official proceedings, James and Nicola presented a small sculpture to be displayed in the birthplace. The piece was designed by Helen Conneely of Celtic Roots Studio, Ballinahown, and is in bog oak depicting the ancient Irish legend of the Salmon of Knowledge.Moves are afoot to foster exchange visits between groups from Banagher and Thornton. Nigel West, a leading member of the Thornton project, has a direct genealogical link with the Bell family of Hill House in Banagher (now Charlotte’s Way B&B, run by Nicola). Nigel has been pivotal to all that has happened to date bringing the two towns closer together.The official opening took place last Thursday, May 15, 210 years after the Brontë family moved to Thornton in May 1815. The Brontë Birthplace is the house where Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne Brontë were born.The Queen was greeted at the old butcher’s shop entrance, where she was gifted a poem and posy by two children volunteers and was welcomed by current and former committee members, patrons and supporters.In the scullery, the Queen joined local school children taking part in an educational activity inspired by the “Be More Brontë” initiative. The children shared their interpretations of what it means to Be More Brontë — from being bold and creative to pushing through life’s challenges with resilience and imagination.Upstairs in “Charlotte’s Room,” which is now used as one of the building's overnight stay bedrooms, the Queen was warmly greeted by Nigel West, along with James and Nicola.Chair of the Brontë Birthplace committee, Katharine Barnett, said the house is no longer “just a place of literary history — it is a living, breathing space filled with creativity, education, and community pride.” The General Manager of the Brontë Birthplace said the committee and volunteers had “worked tirelessly to restore and reimagine the house”, and it was special to share it with the Queen, the local community and Brontë lovers. She said the historic day was made possible thanks to the generous support of Bradford City of Culture 2025, the Community Ownership Fund, the Rural England Prosperity Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund and “the passion of over 700 community shareholders, volunteers, and friends.” (Derek Fanning)
Queen Camilla officially opened the Brontë Birthplace today and was met by crowds of people lining the streets including a royal superfan with a tattoo of Queen Elizabeth II.The Royal visit formed part of the celebratations of the district’s year as City of Culture.The Brontë Birthplace in Thornton – a cottage where the famous sisters were born - is now in public ownership after a two-year campaign which attracted more than 700 investors and achieved national recognition and grants from Bradford 2025, the Community Ownership Fund, the National Lottery Fund and Rural England.Queen Camilla was met with rapturous applause as she exited her car, with people of all ages and cultures on either side of Market Street eager to meet her.She took time to speak to those who had waited patiently for her before being shown around the regenerated Brontë Birthplace as she met committee members, volunteers. and was greeted by broadcaster and journalist Christa Ackroyd.The Queen was shown the original fireplace in front of which the three sisters were born.Her Majesty also spoke to pupils from St Oswald CE Primary School in Bradford who have taken part in the ‘Be More Brontë’ project – an education programme developed to spark a love of literature and reading and also show that, just like the Brontë sisters, anything is possible with ambition and hard work.School headmistress, and education lead on the Brontë Birthplace committee, Gillian Wilson, asked the Queen if she wanted to write a postcard message.Camilla wrote “Be More Brontë” and was complimented by eight-year-old Paige Booth who said: “Nice handwriting.”The Queen smiled and said: “My very bad writing.”She later unveiled an easel plaque to commemorate the opening. (Brad Deas)
The refurbished house in Bradford where the Brontë sisters were born is now welcoming visitors, having been opened on Thursday by the queen.Nestled in a narrow street in the village of Thornton, the home where the literary dynasty spent the early years of their lives was officially opened by Queen Camilla during her visit to Bradford, this year’s City of Culture, with King Charles.This follows 18 months of hard-fought campaigning and fundraising to purchase the historic building and transform it into a museum, educational centre and overnight accommodation.The modest house is where the Brontë sisters Charlotte, Anne and Emily were born and lived with their church minister father Patrick and their brother Branwell. The family, including their mother Maria and two older children, Maria and Elizabeth, moved to the now-famous parsonage in Haworth in April 1820, when Charlotte was four, Wuthering Heights author Emily, two, and Anne, who went on to write The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, just three months old. Maria died not long after the move, aged 38, and the two older sisters both died in 1825, aged 11 and 10.The building at 72-74 Market Street, Thornton, Grade II* listed since 1952, has had various uses since they left, including housing several butchers and most recently a cafe, which closed down during the Covid-19 pandemic.A team of campaigners including Bradford-born TV presenter Christa Ackroyd and Nigel West, a volunteer fundraiser who has family links to the Brontës, have worked tirelessly to first buy the building, which went on sale for £300,000, and then raise money to renovate it.Thanks to a £250,000 grant from the Bradford City of Culture fund and a huge crowdfunding appeal, they hit their £650,000 target. The house will now act as a museum and an educational centre for visiting school groups.Almost a million visitors travel to Haworth every year, many of them for the Brontë links. The team behind the project is now hoping a good chunk of them will also visit Thornton, six miles away.From July the house’s bedrooms will be open for overnight stays. The biggest has been called Charlotte’s Room, dominated by a four-poster bed, but in reality it would have been where all six Brontë children slept, with Patrick and Maria next door in what is now known as Emily’s Room. A third, named for Anne, is actually in a part of the building that was added to long after the family left.West said: “This will be the only place in the world where you can sleep in the same room that the Brontës slept in. Downstairs, in what is now the cafe, they were born on the floor right in front of the fireplace.” (David Barnett)
It’s not often a senior member of Britain’s royal family opens a cultural centre with extensive Irish connections, but that’s exactly what Queen Camilla did yesterday – and the Brontës were the reason.Those three sisters produced an exceptional body of work which includes Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, jewels in the English literary canon, but they have strong Irish ties through their father.He was born Patrick Brunty and grew up in the parish of Drumballyroney in Co Down. In time, he became vicar of Haworth, the Yorkshire village where he gave his children free rein in his library and encouraged their creativity.Patrick had ambitions to be an author himself, and although he never achieved the success of his daughters, he was published.Sophie White: How and why to avoid advice, plus three simple rules to live byCatherine Prasifka: What the election of Pope Leo XIV has in common with Taylor Swift’s Eras tourOliver Callan: I felt like Hemingway of the hydrangeas after my latest intrepid gardening scrapeA key element of the family’s story is centred on a Grade II* (grade two-star ) listed building in Thornton, near Bradford, where Queen Camilla met volunteers and Brontë enthusiasts yesterday. It has been designated the Brontë Birthplace, Thornton, but when Patrick arrived to take up residence it was a parsonage. With him was his wife Maria and their two young children: a time of hope and promise.It was mid-May 1815 – 210 years ago, almost to the day – and although Patrick is closely bracketed with the parsonage in nearby Haworth, where they moved in 1820, he spent five productive years in Thornton. In later life, he called them his “happiest days”.In front of a fireplace in the parlour there, the four youngest children were born – the only four out of six to reach adulthood. They were Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne, and it’s not hard to imagine their laughter ringing through the rooms.Moves are afoot to twin Thornton with Banagher, another link with Ireland, because the Co Offaly town was an important stop on Charlotte’s month-long Irish honeymoon. It was home to Arthur Bell Nicholls, her husband and Patrick’s curate in Haworth.Underlining that shared history and those meaningful bonds across the Irish Sea, Banagher Brontë Group representatives travelled to Thornton for the official opening.Present were James Scully, its chairperson, and Nicola Daly, its secretary and owner of Hill House in Banagher, now Charlotte’s Way guesthouse.Arthur retreated to Hill House after Charlotte’s death, followed by Patrick’s, and lived there for 45 years until 1906.With him, he carried priceless Brontë artefacts, including Charlotte’s wedding dress, first editions and a painting of his sisters by Branwell, eventually left to the National Portrait Gallery in London. Many of those “relics” are now in the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth.The Thornton addition to Brontë heritage is part cultural centre, part historic site, part “immersive experience” as it describes itself.A former butcher’s shop, it is in public ownership for the first time in more than 200 years. This birthplace is a significant site in the Brontë story and played a role in their literary evolution.While there, Patrick was writing and had novellas and other work published, and his children saw books by him on the shelves.He had considerably less ability – his work is uneven, heavy-handed in its religious and sometimes political allegory. However, writing was not only in the Brontë blood, through Patrick, but demonstrably an achievable goal.In 2012, the Brontë Birthplace Trust was established to buy the property, by now in poor condition. Crowdfunding has been important, along with support from quarters including Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, and a share offer which raised cash from 770 members.It was bought in April last year, brought into community ownership, and renovations began. Today, it is furnished to recreate the Brontës’ occupancy and visitors can stay overnight in rooms named after Charlotte, Emily and Anne.The Banagher Brontë Group and its members made several visits and donated to the project. Coincidentally, one of the key movers in the Thornton initiative has close Banagher associations. Arthur’s Offaly home, Hill House, belonged to ancestors of Nigel West, a Thornton committee member responsible for fundraisingNigel West’s father inherited Hill House in 1959 from his aunts, the Kerans, relatives of Mary and Arthur’s. The house was sold, but Nigel has an affection for it and is keen to foster links between Banagher and Thornton.He promises Irish visitors a special welcome to Thornton and said of the royal visit: “It’s a huge endorsement of the community’s hard work.”Charlotte called their love of writing “scribblemania” and Patrick had the bug too. A story by him was published while living in Thornton, promisingly called The Cottage in the Wood, or the Art of Becoming Rich and Happy; his recipe included God and education.From humble origins, he transformed his life via education, and it’s a theme in all seven novels published by his daughters.As for the Brontë Birthplace,Thornton – it’s an example of how a dedicated, determined team of volunteers can change outcomes. Self-made man Patrick would approve.
Pictures of the Brontë Birthplace appear in the latest issue of the Absolutely Yorkshire magazine.
The bond between sisters is a strong one, often yielding powerful emotions, fury, jealousy and of course, great love. As much as the great works that they created, it is the relationships between the extraordinary siblings, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne, that are explored in a fascinating and beautifully written play by Polly Teale.Opening this week at Ilkley Playhouse’s Wildman Theatre, Brontë is presented as if it were a public rehearsal.The fourth wall is broken immediately as director, Chrissie Poulter welcomes in the audience and explains some of the conventions they will be using – the ringing of a bell for example, to signify the change of scene. And then we watch as the actors put on their costumes and rehearsal clothes and start the play.Central, of course, to this piece are the sisters. Charlotte is portrayed in a stunning performance by Lottie Kingsley who captures perfectly her determination, her perseverance, her longing for adventure and escape and also her common sense and reliability.Eliza Wilson is beautifully assured as Emily, as she strives to reveal her unconventionality and rebellious streak and also her mystery. Both these actors have moments of perfect stillness when they are able to convey simply with a flicker of their eyes an emotion or a thought. Anne Bronte, the sister least confident in her abilities, is played by Victoria Bandy who manages to play the least well known writer in a manner so compelling that one is newly encouraged to seek out her works.All of the sisters have to deal with the austerity of their father, Patrick (Patrick Hebbert) and the disreputable and chaotic nature of their brother Branwell (Reuben Baldwin). Hebbert manages to imbue the bereft patriarch with a slight tenderness to soften his harsh reputation whilst Baldwin’s Branwell is every inch the infuriating louche of his renown.That said, once set against the passions and successes of his sisters, it is easy to imagine how he became so disillusioned and frustrated with his own lot in life – so many expectations are heaped on the only son.Woven into the text of this biographical piece are extracts and scenes from the works of the sisters, and are brought to life in the roles of Cathy Earnshaw and Bertha by Vickie Wooller and Emma Towning.These character vignettes serve both as reminders of the novels whilst also revealing aspects of the writers’ characters which manifest through their writing. And this is the great skill of the playwright, Polly Teale, who has delved deeply into the histories of the women and has striven to understand both their staid sufferance and confinement as well as their expansive imaginations and burgeoning successes.Painfully and tragically and of course expectedly, there is a sequence of the family’s demise, brightened only briefly by the wittily written proposal scene between Charlotte and Arthur Bell Nicholls (Eoin Howe) – reminiscent of Jane Austen’s Mr Collins.The performances alone here are enough to elicit cheers from the audience, but coupled with the superb writing and well-crafted direction it is definitely not to be missed. Grab a ticket quickly – word will get about. (Rebecca Carter)
Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre (2016) returned to Sadler’s Wells during Northern Ballet’s London tour. Set to compositions by Philip Feeney, the ballet explores Charlotte Bronte’s novel through Marston’s deeply honed signature movements and choreography. Jane Eyre retells the story through Jane’s retrospective reflection on her life; in Marston’s prologue, Jane is found by St John Rivers, after she has collapsed around the struggles that have led her to this point. Marston eloquently shapes the male corps de ballet that explores the metaphors of Jane’s conflict, a signature trait which emerges in later ballets, including San Francisco’s Snowblind (2018). Structured as a two-act ballet, the narrative unfolds as a reflection of Jane’s life as an orphan at Lowood Institution, her arrival at Thornfield, and the tragedy (a wedding that gets interrupted by Mr Rochester’s deranged wife, and the fire that destroyed Thornfield and left Rochester visually impaired).Marston is an outstanding storyteller. At the hands of this pioneering choreographer, nothing is left to chance. The dancers (as metaphors, the young women at Lowood, or guests at Thornfield) move through the choreography which is shaped with meticulous detail. Gestures have meaning, and are used to serve the narrative throughout the ballet. Props, including gravestones, miniature desks, a high-backed chair, also offer references to the context of the narrative, working around a sense of minimalist design. Patrick Kinmonth’s set and costume designs effectively capture the period and the Yorkshire hills. The combination of storytelling in the movements, together with the use of contemporary period costuming and stage design, successfully brings all the various components together. In true Marston style, the presence of an elevated platform at the back of the stage supported a spatial and framing device for the complexity of the narrative to unfold.Marston’s adaptation of the novel to the stage is easy to follow in part due to the effective collaboration between choreographer, composer and scenographer. Feeney’s compositions are an outstanding element of the collaboration – the motif of the first meeting between Jane and Rochester is truly sublime. In equal measure, the progression of the movement vocabulary as their relationship unfolds through the narrative is sublimely explored. As the relationship becomes closer, the choreography becomes more ambitious, and the composition ties up the ebb and flows of the performance. The unique gesture (hands crossed around Jane’s face) is visible in the first physical encounter and moves through their various duets until it culminates in Jane’s memories and instigates her return to Thornfield. Sarah Chun and Joseph Taylor’s performances on opening night eloquently narrated the transition between their first meeting, to the blossoming of their relationship, and finally the reunion after the tragic fire. As Jane walks into the light, Feeney’s final notes fade away and leave Jane owning her story. In our world, we have come full circle.Northern Ballet is a joy to watch; each dancer commits to their role in the storytelling that Marston has shaped. Julie Nunes as Adele, together with Harriet Marden (Aunt Reed), Gemma Coutts (Bertha), and Heather Lehan (Mrs Fairfax), have uniquely shaped vocabularies that mark out their characters and create a broad palette of steps to narrate Brontë’s story. They delivered a fine performance. Jane Eyre is a ballet which is quintessentially ‘northern’, and the company showcases its golden ‘Marston’ ballet with flair and mastery. (Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel)
There is very little dance in the book Wuthering Heights. At the Thornfield Hall, Jane observes people dancing, but she is not part of it. "There was the sound of the piano and the voice of singing; then a pause, and the stately measure of a dance." Dance is stately and performative, but neither emotional nor intelligent in Jane Eyre. Cathy Marston's ballet adaptation, therefore, is an interesting one. Brontë's book portrays a thinking and feeling woman and her inner consciousness expounded in hundreds of pages. It is no easy task to incarnate a fictional memoir so deeply pensive and extensive in words.Nonetheless, the piece has strength in storytelling. Marston great command of narrative and is clear on the direction. Young Jane, abused and overlooked growing up in an orphanage, meets Heathcliff, in whom she finds love. Through her journey, she gains strength and hope. There is certainly drama, passion and love, that is also musically persuasive. Phillip Feeney's score has both 19th-century romanticism as well as a modern, suspenseful tone, which the orchestra led by Daniel Parkinson executed near to perfection.The production enjoys some brilliant moments, especially from the corps. The pass by the orphans and D-men creates a suspenseful feeling and adds force to the narrative. Sarah Chun and Joseph Taylor were strong dancers in Jane and Heathcliffe. Some pas de deux are sweet and playful, and lifts and drags are slightly overdone. The push-and-pull chemistry is palpable. However, there could have been more character building of Jane, especially considering the ending where Jane insists on her reign on the narrative coming out of the dark stage after her reunion with Heathcliff. Throughout the work, Jane has little contemplation, time for herself, and development of her own corporeal language.The set and lighting fall flat and do little to imbue a gothic atmosphere in which the piece fails to beat the original. The overall visual design could have given more magic to the piece.There is nevertheless, a very solid attempt to recreate a convincing love story, perhaps not Jane's story as told in her narrative, but a timeless drama that is beautiful in motion. (Sam Lee)
2024 has not been a good year. Just as 2023 wasn't, and as all signs indicate, neither will 2025 and the years to come. Dark times approach and it will not be pretty. The successive economic crises, COVID-19, regional wars, and uncontrolled inflation have only brought to the forefront what the prosperity of the last third of the 20th century had swept under the rug: the very fragile foundations upon which the capitalist model is built, and how the myth of infinite growth and Western democracy are wobbling under the Lampedusian pressure that everything must change so that nothing changes.
Trump's return to power is yet another symptom of the collapse of the democratic model based on principles ultimately inherited from the French Revolution, with the nuances that workers' struggles after the Industrial Revolution and World Wars managed to introduce. Western democratic society, built upon what was once called the Welfare State, shows itself incapable of responding to the challenges of the 21st century. The climate crisis and migration crises, above all, are the perfect incubator for the serpent's egg. And it's hatching everywhere, as we can see in Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Austria, England, Spain, Russia... and the United States. But it's in 2025's America where something new is emerging. Something truly disruptive. The rise of techno-feudalism represented by Elon Musk, though not only by him, poses a danger of enormous proportions. Because it comes at a time when AI and its sponsors should be regulated. Are we conspiracy theorists imagining that the world techno-feudalists are preparing for us is one where the only jobs reserved for the new techno-serfs will be manual labor since all those requiring intellectual work—and therefore people who can think for themselves—will be taken over and improved by AIs? What social democracy once represented has handed the fire extinguishers to the arsonists and devoted itself to fighting sterile and byzantine culture wars, abandoning the middle classes who are alienated by the new Churches of Social Networks. Not a new opium of the people, paraphrasing Marx, but the Fentanyl of the now agonizing Nixon's silent majority. The Trump-Musk alliance threatens to completely redefine the values, pacts, and agreements that maintained stability and prosperity—as precarious as one might consider it, but still the most lasting in human history—of the world as we know it. And it will not be pretty.
So we'll take refuge in our hobbies, in the things that make us happy and that we like to share, while we still can. Because sooner or later, as Niemöller would say, the barbarians will also reach our shores. On the Brontë coast, we can say that 2025 seems rather peaceful, even somewhat uneventful.
We will see the shooting of Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights film. A film that has been vilified for its casting choices using poor, biased arguments that blindly follow an agenda whose ultimate goal is to limit creators' freedom. We'll see more people making a huge fuss for reasons as futile as they are useless, but since the film apparently will finally be released in 2026, we'll have to wait a bit longer.
Defying Expectations: Inside Charlotte Bronte's Wardrobe reveals that the literary legend was also quite a fashion guru of her day.More than 20 pieces of her clothing, and accessories, are on show at the family's former home – the parsonage, in Haworth.Amongst them is a striped evening dress which was only recently confirmed as belonging to Charlotte, and is being displayed for the first time.Whilst her most famous protagonist – Jane Eyre – was a conservative dresser, Charlotte engaged with latest fashions.The exhibition is being co-curated by the Brontë Parsonage Museum and Dr Eleanor Houghton – a historian, writer and illustrator.Ann Dinsdale, principal curator at the museum, said: "When I first started working here we couldn’t actually display some of the items included in this exhibition as people simply wouldn’t have believed that they belonged to the family, they were so outlandish!"We always have at least one of the sisters’ dresses on display, because they are so popular. Just seeing the personal items these young women wore brings out an emotional response from audiences."I think this exhibition, showing Charlotte’s sense of style and her interest in contemporary patterns and materials, will surprise visitors and I am incredibly excited that we have been able to focus on her wardrobe for the first time anywhere in the world."Beaded moccasins on show are thought to have been a gift from Charlotte's publisher in New York.And she was most likely the first person in Haworth to own an 'Ugly Bonnet' – a fashion item she would have bought on a visit to London.The striped dress was discovered during renovations. It was proved to be Charlotte’s following extensive research by Dr Houghton.She said: "My research has revealed that seismic changes in Charlotte’s life and circumstances are clearly reflected in her surviving clothing. And although the items that remain make-up just a portion of those owned and worn by the novelist throughout her lifetime, these varied and often surprising pieces are able to offer a unique insight into both her ordinary and extraordinary lives." (Alistair Shand)
The National Theatre’s vast resources have been placed at the disposal of Emma Rice for her adaptation of Wuthering Heights. And that’s the problem. Too much of everything. The story vanishes beneath a cascade of songs, dances, sound effects and distracting video clips showing clouds scudding across the Yorkshire moors. The actors wear hats made from twigs or sprouts of moss. Most of their costumes don’t fit. Barmy props built from vandalised chairs clutter the stage. Every dramatic moment is treated as a zany joke — like a Spike Milligan sketch without any gags. Even a mother’s death during childbirth isn’t treated seriously. Pity the poor performers.It takes hard work to make a beautiful actress like Lucy McCormick seem sexless and unattractive but that’s the achievement of this show. She plays Cathy as a screeching, honking basketcase with crazy hair and tasteless, baggy clothes. Any sane man would sprint for the exit if she arrived at a party.Her lover, Heathcliff, is an orphan from Jamaica adopted on a Liverpool dockside by old Mr Earnshaw. His nasty, bullying siblings treat him to numerous kickings. (The show is full of ugly violence.) Despite being raised in Yorkshire the young outcast clings to his Caribbean lilt and when he escapes from the family home he sets off in search of his fortune. Years later he returns in a blinged-up white-and-gold suit, still talking like Bob Marley. He’s turned into Heathspliff.This role is superbly played by the handsome Ash Hunter who has a lovely voice and a powerful, smouldering stillness. Yet he’s the only one who brings any hint of the novel’s romance, wildness and mystery. The only other bright point in this barrage of Brontë-phobia is Katy Owen’s humorous turn as Isabella. Owen can deliver a ribald line with just the right amount of sauce — ‘I like to slide down the bannister because it tickles my tuppence.’ And she can bend her limbs amusingly which suggests that she could make ballet look funny. She’s a big find. (Lloyd Evans)
Academic Helen Taylor engages with what women have read and how in Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of Our Lives. The Irish Times reviews it:The list of trigger warnings is seemingly never-ending. From Jane Eyre to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first encounters university students have with new texts are likely to be warnings about their content. Rather than asking why a young generation of budding intellectuals have such a bad reputation for controlling their emotions (or why university students are reading Harry Potter books at all), many academics seem willing to play along with trigger warnings. To criticise trigger warnings today is tantamount to outing yourself as a sadist, intent on causing emotional damage to hordes of unsuspecting youngsters.But criticise them we should. Trigger warnings are terrible for many reasons. They sanitise our authentic experiences and emotions – reading of the brutal murder of Nancy at the hands and club of Bill Sikes is supposed to make you recoil. They also give credence to the narcissistic idea that young people should link everything they read back to their own experiences, rather than embracing a universal outlook. This philistine approach to learning will do nothing for a young generation of scholars. University is, after all, supposed to be about opening your mind. (Ella Whelan)
Caitlin Moran's girlhood titles are a sensory bloom: The Railway Children, Jane Eyre, Ballet Shoes, What Katy Did, Gone with the Wind. (Ruth McKee)
In essence, we can see Dark Academia as prep school fashion with a gothic twist. It's imbued with European romanticism, tragic fiction, influenced by things like mythology and poetic existentialism, with classic female authors like the Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen being key figures to the trend. (Madeline Kenzie)
Harkening back to that tradition of Heathcliff/Rochester anti-heroes — The Girl Before is very gothic in its origins — Oyelowo conveys enough temper and torment that audiences will probably be divided on his character and whether the show earns its last 10 or 15 minutes. I would say “No,” but that’s not Oyelowo’s fault. He’s intense and scary even in the moments he maybe isn’t supposed to be. (Daniel Fienberg)
05/6 When Jane confesses her love for Rochester: 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë“All my heart is yours, sir: it belongs to you; and with you it would remain if fate were to exile the rest of me from your presence forever.”There are many declarations of love in 'Jane Eyre' that are heartfelt and sweet declarations. However, it’s Jane’s ardent declaration of love at the end that is everyone's favorite.
The festival marks their legacy and the sisters’ influence today, and also aims to highlight some contemporary challenges.Rebecca Yorke, interim director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: “This is shining a light on what the Brontës did, and how they continue to influence, but also giving women a chance to shine.“Women still face some of the problems that the Brontës did all those years ago; they still take longer to get published and to get the recognition their male counterparts do.“It links us right back to the Brontës, and shows us they are as relevant today.” (...)With a theme of Speaking Out, it honours ‘quiet sister’ Anne, known for works such as Agnes Grey, as well as for speaking “difficult truths rather than socially acceptable falsehoods”.Ms Yorke said: “What we’ve learned is there is a global audience and appreciation for the Brontës, and for literature and for sharing books and the arts. The Brontës couldn’t have imagined that.“To think that so many years later here we are, linking people across the world, to talk about their legacy and to shine a light on people today, is really special and poignant.“Our mission is bringing the Brontës to the world, and the world to Yorkshire So reaching so many people is really important.” (Ruby Kitchen)
Rosalia is keen that the Brontë Bitch name shouldn’t be misconstrued.The legacy of Jane Eyre in Bookriot:
“The brand identity is by no means meant in a derogatory way – nor is it ‘name calling’ of the illustrious Brontë sisters and their followers,” she says.
“I’ve been a fan of the Brontës from an early age – when I lived close by in Ingrow.
“My friends and I used to spend time on the cobbled streets, in the shops and on the moors.
“In 1999 I moved to London for a career in fashion and music public relations and never thought I would return – but since 2014 I’ve been resettled in Brontë Country.
“This place is rich in history, surrounded by the beautiful rolling countryside and the Brontë moors – it’s one of my favourite places in the world.”
The Brontë Bitch logo was created by Utley-based independent graphic designer, Anna Cleary.
“A provocative name requires a provocative logo,” she said. “And I needed to soften the word ‘bitch’ somehow, hence the kisses. It’s brave and it’s sassy and I am a big fan of putting the cat amongst the pigeons!”
The first in a series of designs features the quote, “your will shall decide your destiny”, from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
The frame was inspired by the letter ‘o’ taken from Brontë, and the purple-coloured word 'bitch’ by the heather of the moors.
A second design will draw its inspiration from Emily Brontë and Top Withens and her love of animals, whilst a third will be based on brother Branwell. (Allistair Shand)
One of the most impactful literature classes I took in college was a simple, 100-level class: “British Literature: 1850–Present.” Anglophile book nerds have all probably taken this class, along with its less popular sibling, “British Literature: 1000–1850.” (...)But the professor, a newly-minted PhD in her first official position, had other ideas than the usual Dickens to Wilde and on through the drawing room dramas of British literature.Instead, she decided to teach us a visceral lesson on the legacy of Jane Eyre by choosing works that are based — directly or loosely — on Brontë’s seminal tale. We spent the entire semester looping book after book back to Jane, to the madwoman in the attic and physical manifestations of inner turmoil, to disapproving aunts and dead best friends. (...)To borrow a phrase: Reader, it blew my mind.What is it about Miss Eyre that keeps us coming back to her story? Personally, I will never pass up a strong female character, and Jane’s particular brand of iron-clad will is immensely satisfying. Everyone underestimates her at every turn, and yet she simply continues forward, doing what she believes is right and necessary. She believes in herself, wholly and without reservation. (Tika Viteri)
The women in these classics were impossibly romanticised. Jane Eyre was a figure of resilience. But why does she have to return to the man who has kept a monumental secret from her, my mind would wonder. (Anamika Chatterjee)
The book I’m ashamed not to have read
I’m constantly aware of how many books I have not read, particularly from other continents and cultures, and of how little time there is to read all that I would wish. However, the shame comes when I then find myself rereading Wuthering Heights, Bleak House, The Quiet American or Tinker Tailor for the umpteenth time. And knowing it won’t be the last time, either.
It is most probable that she was Margaret Cooper, widow of Reverend Henry Cooper of Embsay. Margaret was the niece of Christopher Sidgwick, the mill owner who originally constructed the building as a school for his "half-timers" (children who spent half their time in school and half at the factory). (...)
Her father was John Benson Sidgwick, of Stone Gappe Hall, Lothersdale (where novelist Charlotte Brontë was briefly a governess for the Sidgwick children), but the family had in 1847 moved to Embsay Kirk when Margaret was in her early teens. They later lived at West Riddlesden Hall, before Margaret returned to Embsay as the vicar's wife. John is said to have been the model for Mr Rochester in Charlotte Brontë's novel, "Jane Eyre". (Jane Lunnon / Viv Mason)
Heathcliff, written by and starring Cliff Richard, is an adaptation of the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Heathcliff's personal story is expanded upon, though much of the dialogue is from the novel. Richard released a studio album of the music, featuring Olivia Newton-John as part of a duet.The musical played at several locations around London. It was popular with fans, but not critics. The last showing was in May 1997, and an original cast recording was released in late 1996. (Noemi Arellano-Summer)
Kate Bush - "Wuthering Heights"
In Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (a book I have not read), Catherine Earnshaw is abandoned by her love, Heathcliff, and dies while giving birth to another man’s child. Kate Bush also hadn’t read the book, when, at age 18, she saw the movie on the telly and immediately went to work composing what would become her debut single. When it was released in March 1978, the song shot up to number 1, making Bush the first woman to top the UK charts with a self-penned song. Another accolade: Bush may have been the first and only woman to star solo in an MTV video on its maiden day. In this “Wuthering Heights” video — there are two versions — Bush is wearing a white dress. This is the first version made for British audiences. The second, more well-known version made for US audiences has Bush in a red dress. Both feature Bush’s limber swaying, her choreography somewhere between drunk ballet and interpretive dancing. The “white dress” version trades the wily windy moors for an indoor set replete with fog and bad special effects. Bush’s intent was to look like a ghost and this one is definitely more haunting than the other. However, if the TikTok teens are gonna bring back the dance, they’ll pilfer the moves from the “red dress” video. In hindsight, it’s the better of the two. But “white dress” is still arresting. Bush, who delayed the release of the “Wuthering Heights single because she didn’t like the cover art EMI chose, is as dedicated to her aesthetic as her sound. (Alex Wexelman)
Although I don’t underestimate the impact of any art form, “changed my life” is a big ask for a pop video. I mean, Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights definitely changed the way I thought about my nightie. At the age of four I realised it could be used as daywear, while spinning round and round and screeching what I thought, at the time, was the name of Kate’s great love: “Healthcliff.”.
Wuthering Heights (William Wyler, 1939)
Three years later, in 1939, David Niven continued his dogged persistence to reach the industry heights, working through Samuel Goldwyn to appear in multiple minor roles including John Ford’s Four Men and a Prayer, before finding success with Wuthering Heights.
William Wyler’s moody adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel starred David Niven, not as Cathy or Heathcliff, but instead the feeble Edgar, to which Niven wasn’t best pleased. Putting him through 40 takes of his first scene in the film, Niven’s time on Wuthering Heights would prove to be extremely valuable, learning considerably from director William Wyler. Eventually, the film would prove a massive success. (Calum Russell)
Il faut se rappeler la dureté de la vie au début du XIXe siècle pour comprendre la portée de l’œuvre des sœurs Brontë… et l’importance de leur foyer. Charlotte, Emily et Anne ont vécu à peu près à la même époque que Dickens, histoire de poser le décor. Le Royaume-Uni compte alors un peu plus de 10 millions d’habitants (contre 68 aujourd’hui), et si la démographie est en forte hausse, la mortalité y est très élevée. Père de six enfants, le révérend Patrick Brontë voit sa femme emportée par un cancer alors que sa cadette n’a même pas 2 ans. Puis c’est la tuberculose qui lui enlève ses deux filles aînées, en 1825. Dans ce contexte tragique, la maison familiale de Haworth, petit village du Yorkshire, représente un havre de paix et un refuge pour la fratrie survivante, à l’imagination débordante. (Valérie Fournier) (Translation)
Emily Bronte – Uğultulu TepelerBronte kardeşler, kadının edebiyatla uğraşmasının hoş görülmediği bu yıllarda, önce erkek kimliğiyle şiirler yazmış sonra kendi adlarıyla, klasikler arasında yer alacak üç önemli romana imza atmışlar. Emily Bronte 1848'de öldüğünde dünya edebiyatının en güzel yapıtlarından birini, ilk ve tek romanı Uğultulu Tepeler'i ardında bırakmış. Bu Victoria Dönemi romanı, kimine göre dünyanın gelmiş geçmiş en büyük aşk romanı, kimine göre her okunuşunda değişik tatlar veren çağlar ötesi bir eser. Sevgi, kin, nefret, intikam, tutku gibi güçlü duygularla örülü bu gençlik öyküsü, aynı zamanda marazi bir aşkın hikayesi. (...)Charlotte Bronte – Jane EyreBronte Kardeşlerden Charlotte Bronte’nin Jane Eyre kitabı klasik baş yapıt aşk kitapları arasında yer alıyor. Victoria Dönemi'nde geçen Jane Eyre, birçoklarınca kadın hak ve özgürlüklerine sahip çıkan ilk romanlardan biri olarak kabul edilir. Zorlu bir yaşam süren yapayalnız bir genç kadının güçlü bir kadına dönüşmesinin öyküsüdür. Jane Eyre, erkek egemen toplumdaki konumuna gözü pek yaklaşımı ve şiirsel, duygusal bir gerçekçilikle harmanlayan öncü olmayı başarmış bir eser. (Ekin Avci Iltir) (Translation)
Red 17 (in Spanish) only includes Jane Eyre, though.
En esencia, el alter ego de Caitlin Moran es una adolescente de los años noventa, con todo lo que ello conlleva. Entre sus ídolos están las hermanas Brontë (excepto Anne), Jo March y Sigmund Freud. (Ana Pastor) (Translation)
Alla biblioteca del nonno, il bambino Roberto attingeva per avvicinarsi alla letteratura: la prima rivelazione gli venne da un’edizione economica di Cime tempestose, grazie alla quale capì che la lettura poteva sostituirsi al gioco. (Paolo DiStefano) (Translation)
We read in Friuli Sera (Italy) that in tonight's edition of the Percoto Canta singing contest, a participant will sing Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights. Most appropriate.
Bertha’, choreographed by Cathy Marston (the brain behind the ROH’s The Cellist) in collaboration with Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet, explores the psyche of Bertha Mason, the love-scorned antagonist of the novel ‘Jane Eyre.’With a score for violin and handpan, this origin story of ‘the woman in the attic’ marks the latest chapter in Marston’s ongoing exploration of her full-length ballet ‘Jane Eyre’, which the Joffrey debuted in 2019.Direction: Cathy Marston, Tim WhalenChoreography/Story: Cathy MarstonMusic by Errollyn Wallen, Published by Errollyn Wallen © 2021 All rights reservedFilm Featuring: Joffrey Artists Christine Rocas as Bertha, Dylan Gutierrez as Rochester, Jeraldine Mendoza as Jane Eyre/Young Bertha ScorePerformed By: Sara Trickey — Violin, Rosie Bergonzi — HandpanMusic Recorded and Mixed By: Gerry O’Riordan, at The Soundhouse Studios, London Rehearsal Director: Suzanne Lopez Costumes: Patrick Kinmonth Produced By: The Joffrey Ballet, Big Foot Media.
Wuthering Heights by Emily BrontëI took AP English my Senior year and one of the books we were assigned was Wuthering Heights, and my sweet giddy aunt, I hate that book with a fiery passion. I don’t understand why it’s touted as one of the best love stories because there are absolutely no likable characters in this book. Heathcliff out-emos even Hamlet and Catherine is just the worst. This, plus my feelings against Hamlet and anything that Joyce wrote (just to shame a few) helped me to realize that I can be an awesome English major and still loathe some of the things that are still taught to this day in English classes everywhere. On a positive note, I also read Ellison’s Invisible Man in that class, so it wasn’t all bad.—PN Hinton
TCA: Do you have a favorite book that you would wish everybody had read?Day: My favorite Victorian novel is easily “Jane Eyre,” and “In The Quick” is a very loose retelling of “Jane Eyre,” which if you haven’t read [it] recently, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know it for the book. But if you are a person that loves “Jane Eyre,” you will get the little Easter eggs in “In The Quick.” I definitely was inspired by that kind of character when I was writing “In The Quick,” that’s sort of the character that you love them, but you can see them making their own lives so difficult just by being who they are. And “Jane Eyre” is always my quintessential example, but [there are] a lot of great ones.I think Arthur Less from the novel “Less” definitely falls into this category. From television, “Fleabag” is definitely like that. You’re just sort of shaking your head at her, but also you’re rooting for her, you’re [thinking], “no don’t, don’t do that.”So “Jane Eyre” has always been a favorite of mine. And it was a big inspiration for “In The Quick” in terms of the novel that I push into everyone’s hands and say, you know, you’ve got to read this book if you’re a human being. (Sally Lehman)
Goed punt, zei die. De broers hebben erna nog vaak gedebatteerd of het ook mis kan gaan, als je van tevoren helemaal niks weet. ‘Neem Jean Rhys’, zei ik. ‘Niks verklappen’, zei Mike. ‘Maar ik moet toch een voorbeeld geven?’ ‘Ja, maar zonder iets te verklappen, graag.’ ‘Oké... haar beroemdste boek, Wide Sargasso Sea, gaat verder waar een ander beroemd boek ophoudt.’ ‘Zeg maar één keer hardop welk ander beroemd boek’, onderbrak Mike zijn grote broer, ‘dan lees ik dat wel even eerst, voor ik aan die Jean Zaragoza begin.’ (Lezersvraag: over welk boek hadden de anaaltjes het? De uitgever verloot er weer eentje, de schrijver m/v niet, waarom niet mag ik denk ik niet verklappen.) (Peter Buwalda) (Translation)
Steeds zijn er ook andere krachten, is er die onderstroom van duistere elementen die we kennen uit de gothic novels van Ann Radcliffe, Emily Brontë, Mary Shelley en vele andere schrijfsters die het bovennatuurlijke en de horror hebben gebruikt om te kunnen schrijven over de werkelijkheidservaringen van vrouwen. (Manon Uphoff) (Translation)
Essentially, this 350-page volume is a very generous selection of book reviews. It is generous in terms of the number of titles that Abdel-Shakour decided to introduce to his reader. It is also generous in terms of the diversity of the selection.Abdel-Shakour divided his book into five sections that go through Egyptian novels, Arab novels, short stories, poetry, and foreign literature and memoires.The division is safe and sound, but within that division there is perhaps what could be called some subdivisions that might have been all unintentional.Several of the titles that Abdel-Shakour included in his recent volume relate profoundly to the issue of generations and their moral bonds: the generation who survived the defeat of the 1967 war and the one that lived through the rise and fall of the January 2011 Revolution.There is Sahar El-Mougy’s ‘Misk Al-Tal’ (‘The Hill’s Musk’), which has two previously coerced literature female characters, Amina of Naguib Mahfouz and Catherine Eranshaw of Emily Bronte, trying to help Mariam to get out of her hopelessness and onto her feet, practically on the eve of the January Revolution. (Dina Ezzat)
Figura emblematica, la Lister è al centro delle ricerche letterarie dell’appassionata Joe, che è del resto convinta anche dell’omosessualità delle sorelle Brontë o di Jane Austen. (Amelia Natalia Bulboaca) (Translation)
I was determined to try and make each song a masterpiece so I tried to listen to only masterful music – things like Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights where you’re almost embarrassed to be trying to write guitar parts around it. (Rich Hobson)
Like Jane Austen did with Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Emily Brontë created a strong, self-possessed female protagonist in Jane Eyre who was many years ahead of her time. The book begins with her being punished for not smiling and prancing around like children are supposed to do—but little Jane refuses to fake her emotions.Throughout the novel Jane faces various trials, but nothing will stop her from going after what she wants. When she leaves Mr. Rochester, she tells him, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will”. Young readers will aspire to be as unabashedly themselves as Jane. (Paul Willson)
The Brontë Society has not yet revealed all the details of Anne's celebrations but we know that the creative partner will be Samira Ahmed as well as some of the names that will visit the Parsonage: Maggie O’Farrell (June), Ruta Sepetys, Andrew Michael Hurley (April), Jess Moor and Nuala Ellwood. The Brontë Parsonage will host the exhibitions Anne Brontë: 'Amid the brave and strong' and
Crossing the pond, in New York (January 24th/25th) at the New York Public Library the piece Anne Brontë: A Woman Of Courage which weaves together excerpts from Anne's novels along with sections of her poems, letters and diary entries will be presented. The Lost Voice of Anne Brontë is "a Victorian Melodrama of Murderous Intrigue, Madness and Malice" written by Cate Whittaker that will be premiered in Sydney (January 31st) and later be performed in Haworth as part of the Brontë200 celebrations.
Anne Brontë will also be present in the editorial Brontë releases: Nick Holland will publish Crave the Rose: Anne Brontë at 200, 're-evaluating the legacy of the youngest Brontë sister on the 200th anniversary of her birth'. Saraband publishes Adelle Hay's Anne Brontë Reimagined: A View from the Twenty-first Century (after Franklin's Charlotte Revisitation and O'Callaghan's Emily Reappraising) trying to answer 'who was the real Anne, how was her reputation destroyed, and why has she been so overlooked?'
Our annual dose of retellings of the Brontë opus will be represented this year by a Jane Eyre retelling: Rose Lerner's The Sea May Burn, Lily Tuck, winner of the National Book Award, publishes the novella Heathcliff Redux (February) and other stories where "a married woman reads Wuthering Heights at the same time that she falls under the erotic and destructive spell of her own Heathcliff". Tanya Landman retells Jane Eyre (January) adapted for readers with difficulties. Penguin in its Vintage Minis collection selects texts from Jane Eyre and Villette with Independence (March) as a common subject. A couple of theatres plays will also be published: Jordi Mand's Brontë: The World Without (May) and Andrew Sheridan's Wuthering Heights (February) (more on this one later in the post). The Brontë biographical fiction will also be present. In August, Finola Austin will publish Brontë's Mistress:This dazzling debut novel for fans of Mrs. Poe and Longbourn explores the scandalous historical love affair between Branwell Brontë and Lydia Robinson, giving voice to the woman who allegedly corrupted her son's innocent tutor and brought down the entire Brontë family.
The greatly anticipated graphic novel Glass Town by Isabelle Greenberg will be published in February:A graphic-not-quite-biography of the Brontës, and their Juvenilia. Four children; Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne have invented a world so vivid that they can step right into it. But can reality be enough, when fiction is so enticing? And What happens to an imaginary world when its creators grow up. Plots are spiralling, characters are getting wildly out of hand, and a great deal of ink is being spilt.For even younger readers, We Are the Brontë Sisters (Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum) by Brooke Vitale (June): 'An 8x8 with 2 sticker sheets based on an episode from the PBS KIDS animated television series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum starring the Brontë sisters'. The scholar niche will also have a couple of publications scheduled by Palgrave for June: Charlotte Brontë, Embodiment and the Material World, edited by Justine Pizzo and Eleanor Houghton and Wide Sargasso Sea at 50, edited by Elaine Savory and Erica L. Johnson which of course deals with the fiftieth anniversary of Jean Rhys's Jane Eyre prequel.
And the Brontës will return to the stages in 2020. New adaptations of Jane Eyre by Elizabeth Williamson will open in Hartford, CT and by Christine Calver in Pequot Lakes, MN, both in February. In Manchester, the Royal Exchange Theatre will present a new production of Wuthering Heights, adapted by Andrew Sheridan:Experience a very different side to literature’s most electric couple in this gripping reinvention of the classic tale. Bryony Shanahan’s production of Andrew Sheridan’s searing script is a ferocious, wild and utterly exhilarating celebration of passion, of desire – and of the female imagination that created this indelible masterpiece. Visceral and vicious, physical and poetic, tender and true: Emily Brontë never felt quite like this before.Another new Wuthering Heights (devised by the Inspector Sand Company) will be premiered in Southampton (in May):
Does it take a village to raise a monster?Blackeyed Theatre will continue its Jane Eyre tour (adapted by Nick Lane) in the Netherlands (January), UK (January-May) and even China (June).
Channelling Emily Brontë’s piercing wit and fierce emotion, Inspector Sands present this classic story of obsessive love and revenge in a thrilling new version for our times.
Expect violence, passion, peril, social awkwardness, high winds, heavy rain, loud music and mud.
If you think the novelist Emily Bronte is something to sing about, a performance at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall will be right up your street.The Basingstoke Gazette reviews the performances of Blackeyed Theatre touring production of Jane Eyre:
The Unthanks are inviting an audience to experience "the darkly passionate world of Emily Brontë, with a song cycle bearing all the quiet beauty for which they are known and loved". Commissioned to mark Brontë’s 200th birthday, and using her original cabinet piano to write on, Yorkshire born Unthanks composer Adrian McNally has turned ten of her poems into song, performed with band mates Rachel and Becky Unthank and recorded in the parsonage in Haworth where Emily lived and worked.
The spokesman added: "Captured and released as Part 3 of Lines - a trilogy of records inspired by female writers across time - this live performance of The Emily Brontë Song Cycle will also feature songs from the other records that make up Lines, promising an atmospheric evening, and, at its heart, a unique collaboration between a literary great and one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed bands working today. (Gary Bills-Geddes)
With a cast totalling five members, the actors switched personas without any confusion. Whether it is Camilla Simson swapping from the up front Mrs Fairfax to the fun loving Mary Rivers to Elanor Toms adorable Adele changing to the snobby Blanche Ingram, it didn’t take the audience out of the experience.A new, not very good, review of Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre ballet as performed in Chicago on The Wonderful World of Dance:
Our narrator at the Haymarket, Miss Eyre, played by Kelsey Short, is confident and shy all in the same movement.
As the lead Short does exactly what you want her to do, your eye is fixed on her throughout as the supporting cast flow around her changing the set, playing music and moving the story along.
Ben Warwick plays Brontë’s classic macho man Edward Rochester with panache and just the right amount of swagger. Warwick and Short make a believable and natural romantic duo.
The use of music throughout the play is a clever addition as it is not a background addition, it is at the forefront of the stage, with the cast using the music to move the narrative along.
It is also the minimal stage probs which really help create a bigger world, in particular when Jane is being given the tour of Thornfield Hall, where chairs and benches are used to create its grand rooms and corridors.
But the star of the show is Short, she is shy and retiring when it is needed, confident and brash when called upon and passionate when she is driven, the actress truly embodies the spirit of Jane Eyre and tells her story in such a compelling way.
This is a refreshing and honest adaptation of a classic tale of which the famous novelist would most definitely approve. (Tim Birkbeck)
Jane and Rochester’s pas de deux are cold and restrained, a succession of lifts with pretty poses, but not much more. Rochester, danced by Greig Matthews, fades into the background. This is disappointing not only because of the technical and creative drabness of the choreography, but also because of the lackluster acting performance that accompanies it.Better reviews can be read on Stage and Cinema and Third Coast Review:
Matthews was a true standout last spring in Joffrey’s triple bill Across the Pond, yet in this principal role, poor direction and watered-down material hampered what I believe is his true potential. Not much more can be said of protagonist Amanda Assucena, who in previous Joffrey productions has also shined far brighter. Also especially troubling was the complete absence of chemistry in the pairing of these two otherwise strong dancers. The moments of ecstatic love between the couple should have sizzled, but ultimately fizzled with lacklustre steps and zero emotional intensity. (Justine Bayod Espoz)
Marston utilizes a kind of grounded technique, almost quirky, with curling and unfurling limbs and a use of gravity that is quite contemporary. She uses steps and movement to demonstrate character and temperament, as in the quivering ward Adele Varens, convincingly and youthfully danced by Cara Marie Gary. Marston utilizes a grand sense of composition to delineate and showcase the drama. As she arrays the dancers on the set she created with Patrick Kinmonth, it’s as if paintings at the National Gallery are coming to life. This is a masterwork and it is set to a score by Phillip Feeney that breathes with the dancers and is like a film score evoking emotion, played live by the wonderful Chicago Philharmonic led by Scott Speck. This ballet is on all counts beautiful and approachable like a Masterpiece Theatre drama. It evokes the legacy of the great British choreography of Frederick Ashton and is a marvelous night in the theater of athleticism and grace. I do hope though, with the move to a new home, that we will soon see stories that speak to the brave new world we live in. (Angela Allyn)The Telegraph & Argus announces the upcoming unveiling of a blue plaque at the Thornton Brontë birthplace:
"Alongside world-famous festivals and our Brontë heritage, this new Wrose plaque helps cement the Bradford district’s reputation as a real destination for literature lovers.”The Guardian's Book Clinic makes a passing reference to Wuthering Heights:
Malachi’s blue plaque is the latest installation as part of Bradford’s newly-launched blue plaque scheme.
On Tuesday, October 29, Bradford Civic Society will be unveiling a blue plaque for George Cross recipient Barabara Harrison, and there will be a further unveiling at the Thornton birthplace of the Brontë family later this year. (Felicity Macnamara)
Literary works provide us with an abundance of useful material, whether classic fairytales such as Cinderella, or novels such as Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Mary Renault’s The Bull from the Sea, or Joanna Trollope’s Other People’s Children – each a beautifully crafted engagement with the vicissitudes of stepfamilies. (Brett Kahr)Also in The Guardian, the one and only Patti Smith:
The author and musician on Jean Genet, Little Women and crying over Charlotte BrontëGo Tech Daily reviews the graphic novel Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot:
The last book that made me cry
After surrendering to the omnipresent atmosphere of Villette by Charlotte Brontë, I was heartbroken at the book’s end. So much so, that I wrote a small alternative ending.
Cath comes from London and Mitch from the fictional Thrushcross, a friendly, well-ordered city of stone and slate beneath the bare hills of the Brontë country. The background is a beautifully drawn patchwork of rolling fields, dry stone walls and steep rocks, with grouse that bursts into the pale sky above him. (Thomas Shaw)News.de recommends Jane Eyre 2011 (on MDR Media Library, just for German viewers). Spettakolo! (Italy) interviews the singer Romina Falconi:
Penso a Jane Eyre: lei aveva il dilemma tra l’essere dignitosa e l’essere felice. Ecco, io preferisco essere felice: la dignità nelle mie canzoni non mi avrà mai. (Chiara Rita Persico) (Translation)El Independiente (Spain) celebrated women's writers day with a selection of novels:
Cumbres borrascosas de Emily BrontëLa Voz de Asturias (Spain) talks about Siri Hustvedt, Princess of Asturias Literature Award 2019:
La poderosa y hosca figura del atormentado Heathcliff domina Cumbres Borrascosas , novela apasionada y tempestuosa cuya sensibilidad se adelantó a su tiempo. Los brumosos y sombríos páramos de Yorkshire son el singular escenario donde se desarrolla con fuerza arrebatadora esta historia de venganza y odio, de pasiones desatadas y amores desesperados que van más allá de la muerte y que hacen de ella una de las obras más singulares y atractivas de todos los tiempos. (Carolina Álvarez Albalá) (Translation)
El suspense que imprime en sus novelas también tiene su explicación: «Me enamoré de Jane Eire (sic), de Cumbres borrascosas, y Dickens (sobre el que hizo su tesis doctoral), sobre todo en sus últimas novelas, usaba los argumentos de suspense para avanzar en la historia. Leer ciencia es un misterio de la vida en cierto sentido». (Elena G. Bandera)(Translation)Aufeminin (France) interviews the writer Virginie Delage:
Les livres qui m’ont marquée par ailleurs sont sûrement ceux que j’ai lu « au bon moment », à une période de ma vie où ils résonnaient plus particulièrement. Il y a donc de tout, ça peut aller du Journal de Bridget Jones à 1984, en passant par Les Hauts de Hurlevent, L'attrape coeur, La jeune fille à la Perle, La promesse de l’aube, La nuit des temps… (Melanie Bonvard) (Translation)Interesting Literature lists Regret by Charlotte Brontë as one of the best poems about ... well, regret. Fire and the Brontës on AnneBrontë.org. The Brussels Brontë Blog publishes an account of the recent Patsy Stoneman talk on biographies of the Brontës.
Unless explicitly said
