Strong and stylish

Australian Stage reviews Genesian Theatre Company's production of Jane Eyre.

Ali Bendall’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, Jane Eyre, features a robust and compelling central performance by Kyra Belford-Thomas as the gutsy governess, perfectly matched by a strong, enigmatic Rochester played by a brooding, Byronic Vincent Andriano. He plays bull via bruised devotion to her fine bone china shop.

Their interplay and chemistry is palpable, a thoroughly engaging repartee, a roiling romance tempered with intellect, mutual respect and an adamant and steadfast stand for equality by Jane. When Rochester registers latent chauvinism, Jane declares “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong—I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart”.

An eleven strong ensemble supporting cast swirls about the two leads in various guises from an embarrassment of bitches to supercilious men in breeches, and a crazy blazing haired attic imprisoned arsonist.

Bendall’s adaptation is fearlessly faithful to the source material, acknowledging its origins as a book by having Jane address the audience as Dear Reader. For the most part, she manages to massage and manoeuvre the prose into astute aside, observational soliloquy and direct dialogue, extracting some decidedly delicious comedy, providing a breath of fresh Eyre in an oft told tale.

Bendall and Tom Fahy’s set design incorporates the back wall of the old church space complete with stained glass windows instantly conjuring the Christian morality that threads through the narrative, a morality that is thimble shallow Bible thumping and threadbare of compassion, with the notable exception of the exemplar, Jane Eyre, and to some extent, Rochester.

Every inch of the space, it seems, is utilised to create the ominously named Thornfield Hall, a gothic manor in which the drama plays out in Gothic manner, via trapdoors, turrets and ladders.

Costumes by company veteran, Susan Carveth evoke the period and lighting and sound design by technical stalwarts, Michael Schell and Cian Byrne add aural and lustrous texture.

A suitably strong and stylish production to end the final Kent Street season. (Richard Cotter)

The Quad discusses 'The Pitfalls of Adapting Classics'.

Another example of incredibly inaccurate adaptations is the upcoming “Wuthering Heights” adaptation produced by Emerald Fennell. Written in 1847, “Wuthering Heights” is a famous example of gothic literature that challenges the Victorian moral standards of the time, as well as having been written by a woman under a male pen name. One of the most progressive attributes of the book is of the character Heathcliff, who is explicitly written to be a racial and ethnic minority in Victorian Britain. While it is not confirmed, it is stated that he “looks like a Gypsy” and in the book, the possibility of him being a “Spanish or American castaway” was brought up, which is strong evidence for him being either Black or Romani. He is also from Liverpool, which was one of the largest enslaved trading ports in the British empire, so the possibility of a Black man living in Britain at the time is not impossible, especially in that town. While his ethnicity remains unconfirmed, people have been analyzing this book for centuries and Healthcliff is a character much discussed in a historical and racial perspective. So many fans of the novel were surprised and angered by his being casted by Jacob Elordi, a conventionally attractive white man. 

It is clear that Fennell either has not done the necessary research to give this book due justice or simply does not care. And in both instances of these adaptations, it is clear that the writers do not care about the source material in the slightest. This doesn’t mean they are bad writers — there is a chance they read the books more aesthetically than efferently, and maybe their preconceived notions whilst reading caused them to give little importance to the decisions of the author. But what this does mean is that people who are looking for an accurate adaptation that respects the source material are going to be extremely disappointed, and since they are going to be the main people watching these adaptations, what could easily happen is that they will be flooded with bad reviews, and the writers might lose a lot of respect in the industry. That is not a good look at all, and the worst part is that the failure will not stop more adaptations like these from coming because the good ones make them so popular. It’s a gamble every time. The better adaptations may regain the audience’s trust, but the audience will never forget the disrespect. (Emily Rutz)

How can an adaptation that hasn't even begun filming be an 'example of incredibly inaccurate adaptations'? A work of art can be interpreted and reinterpreted infinitely, however, you may, or may not, like it. Any adaptation won't affect the original material, which will always be there for whoever wants to find it. There's no respect, disrespect, or trust at work--the artist should be free. A work of art will speak differently to different people and not understanding that and trying to make a uniform thing out of it is, quite honestly, not grasping the most basic thing about art itself.

The University of Sheffield has a project to bring Ann Radcliffe to the forefront for her 260th anniversary.

The initiative, headed by Professor Angela Wright from Sheffield’s School of English and Professor Michael Gamer from the University of Pennsylvania, is set to bring the works of Ann Radcliffe - which inspired the likes of Jane Austen, Mary Shelley and the Brontë sisters - to a new generation of readers. [...]

Dr Rosie Whitcombe, AHRC-sponsored Research and Innovation Associate, explains why the works of Radcliffe were so well read at the time: “Radcliffe was instrumental in popularising the Gothic as a literary genre and was considered, by many, to be a genius writer. Her work was regularly celebrated by critics and used to measure the skill of other writers, and her success inspired an array of imitators. Her influence can be felt in the works of her Romantic and Victorian predecessors, too: each of the major Romantic poets and writers paid her homage, and she provided inspiration for Victorian writers, from the Brontë sisters to Edgar Allan Poe.

“Though she is lesser known outside academic circles, lots of amazing scholarship has been undertaken to ensure Radcliffe is read into the future, and Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now, will continue to amplify the importance and brilliance of Radcliffe’s work.” (Sean Barton)