Writers can't dance

Some reviews of Brontë-related events around:

The Inland Valley Dailly Bulletin reviews the L.A. performances of Rosanna Gamson's Ravish:

Writers can't dance, but that doesn't mean writers will shut up about it. The fact is, we don't live in a perfect world, and writers never hesitate to tackle topics with which they are wholly unfamiliar.
It's only fair, after all. Dancers overstep their bounds, too, and trespass into the territory of writers. It happens all the time.
The latest example is "Ravish," an hour-long dance program that purports to tell the story of the Bronte sisters and the several novels they wrote during their short lives in 19th-century England. "Ravish" had its premiere a week ago in Los Angeles.
I can tell you that the dancing in the show was utterly sublime. I also can tell you that if the show was to be presented with no descriptions or cues to the audience, as to the subject matter, not a soul would have a clue that it is about the Bronte sisters.
You could pack the room with experts on the Bronte sisters, who are trained to appreciate even the most subtle references, and they would never make the connection.
I'm not a dance expert, but I know what dancers are capable of, and what they are not capable of.
I'm just saying, if you want to put on a dance that attempts to convey some literary meaning, it needs to be of the most painfully obvious sort.
I'm just saying, if you want us to understand that you are retelling the story of "Moby Dick," for example, you better drag a particularly fat dancer onto the stage, and stick a harpoon in him.
I'm just saying.
But remember I'm a writer. The only thing I know how to do, with either foot, is to put it in my mouth. (John Weeks)

The Bromsgrove Standard (and The Redditch Standard) covers the on going Wuthering Heights Two Hats UK tour:

This new adaptation of the Emily Bronte classic has been written by Jane Thornton.
A mysterious orphan who sets two families at odds. A conflict passed down across generations. And a love that lasts beyond death.
Cathy and Heathcliff grow up on the remote Yorkshire moors, soulmates and fellow victims of Cathy's brother. But when a chance mistake sends Heathcliff away, Cathy marries the wrong man..
Blanche McIntyre directs a cast featuring Two Hats regulars Chris Dobson, Emma Cooper and Nick Marshall and newcomers Matt Dudley and Krisha Harman in an intimate evening of story-telling that's suitable for all ages.
And award-winning local composer Darren Scott provides an evocative original score for this production featuring the Coventry-based choir Ensemble 1685. (Andrew Powell)

The Australian premiere of Jane Eyre 2006 is commented on The Sunday Times:

Charlotte Bronte’s romantic novel, Jane Eyre, has been brought to life in this lavish, complex and sexy BBC production.
Georgie Henley, who played Lucy Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia, plays the young Jane and newcomer, Ruth Wilson plays her later in life.
Rochester is played by Toby Stephens (the son of Dame Maggie Smith) who brings smouldering good looks to the role.
The all-star cast includes Francesca Annis as Lady Ingram, Christina Cole as Blanche Ingram,
Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs Farifax, Pam Ferris as Grace Poole and Tara Fitzgerald as Mrs Reed.
Producer Diederick Santer is immensely proud of this adaptation filmed entirely on location at the historic medieval castle of Haddon Hall, owned by Lord Edward Manners, and other locations across Derbyshire.
“We do one or two of these huge BBC productions every year,” he says.
“The last one was Bleak House and it was a case of what are we going to do next.
“Jane Eyre hadn’t been done well for a while – there was an old fashioned version in the 80’s."
“We decided to tell the story from the beginning when Jane is young and growing up with her mean aunt and being sent to a strict boarding school.
“That is often left out from films.”
Santer explains that the moment they met newcomer Wilson, they knew she was right for the role – they struck gold with her he says.
“Ruth has this composure, this look,” he explains.
“Jane describes herself as plain, but she has to have a look that lures Rochester.
“One moment Ruth has this look that is quite ordinary but then she has moments of extraordinary beauty.
“Ruth just understood the character and became Jane in every way.”
Wilson was cast first as Jane and then the cast producers saw The Chronicles of Narnia and realised that Henley who played Lucy in the film looked life a young Ruth Wilson.
“Finding an actor to play the 35 year-old Rochester, we knew we needed an actor with experience,” says Santer.
“Toby had it all.
“Rochester is every woman’s dream, he has that blend of strength; is an open book of emotions which are raw, he is strong and has warmth and humour.
“It is interesting when you go back and read the book, how funny Rochester is.
“I remember the brooding, broken man which is there – but there is also this man who is a raconteur who can hunt – he is a rounded character.
“We got a lot of flack from people saying that Toby was too young – but in reality Toby was older than the character he was playing.
“He is meant to be so much older than Jane – she is19 to his mid-thirties character.
“It is an incredibly difficult part and a huge challenge for Toby who nailed it.”
There were critics in the UK when it aired a year ago, but settle in for two hours of exceptional viewing over two consecutive Sundays – you’ll be hooked. (Helen Ganska)

And...

Lesertreff now devotes an article to Jane Eyre (in German). Book Club Classics writes about psychological interpretations of Wuthering Heights:

Don’t artists allow the mystery of genius to work its magic without questioning it too much? Now, it is impossible that Emily Bronte sat down with Freud’s The Ego and the Id before embarking on Wuthering Heights since he was born ten years after she had died. Rather, this quiet introvert had apparently observed and understood human nature in its extreme forms and the result are the terrifying, delightful, alluring characters of Heathcliff and Catherine. Now we get the fun of unpacking and exposing just how great she was — whether unintentional (as her sister believed) or not, and the fun of placing modern “lenses” on the psyche of her characters. I guess the point is — does it matter? We should just appreciate her genius and be grateful!!

We couldn't agree more.

Categories: Dance, Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, Theatre, Wuthering Heights