The Brontë sisters Charlotte, Anne, and Emily, are literary giants and arguably the most famous Yorkshire women ever. In this modern take, the sisters are just as determined in their careers as Charlotte is a screenwriter working with Netflix, Anne is a political blogger and Emily writes slam-poetry.
The salon setting not only provides a vibrant background with its neon lights, designed by Kevin Jenkins, but it’s also where the Brontë sisters have to work to support their artistic pursuits as they battle with a patriarchal society. Such oppression forces Charlotte, Anne and Emily Brontë to write under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.
Elizabeth Gaskell (“Lizzie G”), the Brontë sisters' contemporary, has written an article exposing the identity of the sisters. Furious at being exposed, the sisters prepare a joint response to Gaskell’s behaviour.
The play unveils the personalities of the sisters which is a fascinating take. Charlotte, played by Keeley Lane, is bossy and insecure about her looks, especially her teeth. Anne is clearly a proto-feminist, with Stephanie Rutherford’s “Who run the world?” t-shirt, and Emily, played by Joelle Brabban, is the angry slam-poet wearing an outfit that was reminiscent of Dennis the Menace.
The play gives us a hint into the Brontë sisters' lives. There are references to contemporaries such as “Lizzie G”, jabs at the notoriously troublesome Brontë brother Bramwell, and most importantly readings from the works of the sisters such as Emily’s poem “No Coward Soul Is Mine” or Anne’s “My Soul Is Awakened” poem.
Despite what the show was called – Jane Hair – it felt as if the actors did not interact with their colourful set throughout the whole performance. There was much brush-sweeping at the start and at one point, even Charlotte and Emily blast Anne with hairdryers while she gives her stimulating speech on the liberation of women, but after that, there was not much else. Rather, we are swept away by the drama of the sisters writing their response to Gaskell.
Overall, the show was certainly enjoyable as it was a quirky spin on the beloved Yorkshire sisters, with a feminist touch. It was a great introduction to those less knowledgeable of the sisters but there were enough in-jokes to keep the Brontë enthusiasts happy.
Funded by The Brontë Society and Arts Council England, the production ultimately shows the sisters working together on their response to Gaskell, highlighting how each deserves to be remembered – including the “forgettable” Anne – as history tells us they could not have achieved what they did without each other. (Alanah Hammond)
It’s exactly 100 years since the Belgian state approved the construction of the Palais des Beaux-Arts on the Mont des Arts in Brussels.
The centenary is being celebrated with an exhibition titled Project Palace (April 1 to July 21) in which ten contemporary artists have been invited to produce works that reflect on the role of the art centre (now called Bozar).
Not many people know anything about the building that once stood on this site. The Pensionnat Heger was a Belgian girls’ boarding school where Charlotte and Emily Brontë studied in 1842-3.
Charlotte fell under the spell of her French teacher Constantin Heger and wrote a series of desperate love letters after she returned to England. Her novels The Professor and Villette are based on her stay in Brussels.
The school was torn down in about 1909 as part of the transformation of the Mont des Arts neighbourhood. And the Brontë connection has been totally forgotten, apart from a dusty plaque on a side wall. It was put up in 1979 by members of the Brontë Society. (Derek Blyth)
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