Spirited Young Woman

FanCarpet publishes an interview with John Caird on adapting Jane Eyre for the stage as a musical:

Accompanied by an epic sweeping score, prepare to see Jane, the first feminist literary icon, like you never have before. 

Co-directed by John Caird (best known for international hit ‘Les Misérables’) and Broadway veteran Megan McGinnis, with music by Paul Gordon (‘Daddy Long Legs’). 

With Jane Eyre preparing to make its long-awaited UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, The Fan Carpet sat down with co-book writer and co-director John Caird to discuss bringing Charlotte Brontë’s literary masterpiece to the stage. (...)

John Caird: I’m John Caird. I’m the co-book writer and co-director of Jane Eyre.

Jane Eyre is one of the great literary classics. What was it about Charlotte Brontë’s story that first spoke to you?

John Caird: I just love the character of Jane. She’s such a feisty, funny, clever and spirited young woman right from the very beginning, and watching her grow throughout the story is such a beautiful journey.

Of course, it’s also a great love story. The girl who has nothing meets the man who appears to have everything, but that’s not how it turns out. Jane ends up discovering her own strength and self-worth, while Rochester loses everything he thought defined him. It’s a wonderful reversal.

One of the production’s most unique ideas is that the ensemble all become Jane’s voice throughout the performance. Can you explain the thinking behind that?

John Caird: Because it’s an autobiographical novel, you can’t really ask one actress to sing all of the songs and deliver all of the narration—you’d simply become overwhelmed by hearing the same voice throughout.

By allowing the ensemble to speak with Jane’s voice, they share the responsibility of telling her story. They’re not literally becoming Jane herself; they’re helping to narrate her journey while she’s living it. It creates a much richer theatrical experience.

You’re bringing this production home to the UK. How does that feel?

John Caird: It’s wonderful.

We’ve got a fantastic cast, two brilliant young performers, and we’ve only just begun rehearsals, but I’m already having a wonderful time. It’s been an incredibly enjoyable process so far.

The Collector has a list of museums dedicated to the greatest authors:

9. The Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth, England

The Brontë Sisters sculpture in the grounds at Haworth, depicting Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, three women who produced some of the most enduring novels in the English language.

 Perched atop the steep main street in the Yorkshire village of Haworth, the Brontë Parsonage Museum is the former home of one of the most extraordinary literary families in history. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë grew up in this modest Georgian house from 1820 onward, and it was here, looking out over the wild moorland that would influence their fiction, that they wrote Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

As you might expect, the museum holds the world’s largest collection of Brontë artifacts, including original manuscripts, personal letters, and childhood writing.

Insider tip: A walk across the moors to Top Withens, the ruined farmhouse thought to have inspired Wuthering Heights, is about four miles round trip and well worth the effort on a clear day. (Laura Pattara)