In the footsteps of Anne Brontë

The Berkshire Edge reviews Jen Silverman's play The Moors currently on stage at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, New York.

She has written a period piece (Time: The 1840s-ish; Place: The bleak moors of England?) with a cast of characters that remind of us other people we’ve been aware of: Agatha and Huldey, two sisters living in a rundown manse on the moors, just like the Brontë sisters; an impressionable governess (take your pick from Jane Eyre or Henry James’ ghost tale); a mastiff considered dangerous (Sherlock Holmes and the Baskervilles) but who is a lovesick puppy; a devastating maidservant or servants (Mrs. Danvers in “Rebecca”); and a Moor Hen. Note to audience: this is a very funny play about a very savage subject—jealousy and its inherent depravity. (J. Peter Bergman)

The Guardian looks at the 'Best TV of 2019 so far', including

Gentleman Jack
Sally Wainwright travelled back in time for her latest piece of thrillingly human Yorkshire drama, with this real life tale of Anne Lister. Suranne Jones has received rave reviews for her portrayal of the 19th-century industrialist and diarist, who developed a code to hide her lesbianism.
What we said: It’s Regency Fleabag! Because the heroine occasionally breaks the fourth wall and exteriorises her inner monologue. But it’s set in Halifax in 1832, so it could be Northern Jane Austen. Then again, it’s about Anne Lister, who has been dubbed the first modern lesbian, so maybe it’s Queer Brontë ... You can afford to have a little fun with Gentleman Jack; Sally Wainwright clearly has. (Kate Abbott and Gwilym Mumford)

Cinevue reviews the DVD release of the 1979 adaptation of the (wonderful) novel My Brilliant Career.

Like the Westerns to which [director Gillian] Armstrong pays tribute, wildness and civilisation are at the heart of My Brilliant Career; the external landscape of the American West – which is invariably tamed by its masculine heroes – is here internalised by its heroine, who embodies both the wilderness of the landscape with the heightened romance of the English gothic tradition. The film’s grainy texture – captured beautifully by this release – emphasises the tactical relationship of its characters to the vast country they have colonised. It’s just about enough to overcome a slightly over-familiar story that has echoes of both Austen and the Brontës, but that never quite lives up to the social critique of the former or the Gothic visions of the latter. (Christopher Machell)

Dagens Nyheter (Sweden) reviews the Swedish translation of The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins with a blunder thrown in for free.

Det finns åtskilliga påminnelser om andra kända romaner, man hör Bertha från Emily Brontës ”Jane Eyre” och Jean Rhys ”Den första hustrun” . . . (Lotta Olsson) (Translation)

Women's Agenda (Australia) interviews fashion designer Lisa Swinbanks.

The other half of my inspiration comes from my British heritage on my father’s side. I grew up watching a lot of British period drama, going to theatres, reading Jane Austen and Emily Brontë. I am very much inspired by the British Monarchy as well as their history, especially the fashion from the Victorian era. Therefore, my designs can be broken down to sweet silhouettes inspired from my Tokyo upbringing, and a passion for beautiful lace that comes from my British heritage. I travel to both Tokyo and London every year for inspiration for my designs. (Madeline Hislop)

Express carries the story of Nancy Garr's grave in Bradford. AnneBrontë.org follows in the footsteps of Anne in Scarborough.