Jane Eyre. The Musical in London. First Reviews

First reviews of Gordon & Caird's Jane Eyre. The Musical London production. Not bad, not exceptional. Good ones, without enthusiasm:

4 out of 5 stars

London Box Office:

There are some aspects where the musical doesn't quite work as well from an adaptation standpoint, either straying from the source material or too conscious of its modern audience. Its core message of being "brave enough for love", expressed in the final musical number, feels a tiny bit more moralising than Brontë's novel, which is preoccupied with a woman's search for identity and personal freedom outside the bounds of social barriers. The musical also sidesteps some of the uncomfortable implications around Bertha Mason, who has regularly been assumed to be a woman of colour by many literary scholars, by casting a white actress (Hannah Lindsey) in the role - though ironically, her brother Richard Mason is played by a black actor (Jonathan Andrew Hume), muddying the waters slightly around what the production was trying to imply.

Regardless, where the musical succeeds is in capturing the spirit of Brontë's novel through its aesthetics, musical style, and the cast's portrayal of its often complex characters. What emerges is something quite lovely: hauntingly beautiful in places, emotionally devastating in others. (Shehrazade Zafar-Arif)

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Spy in the Stalls:

The strong ensemble cast is slick and assured, shifting effortlessly between multiple roles. Charlie Burn makes a compelling Jane, balancing quiet determination with moments of defiance, with a voice that soars like a bird. Ashley Gilmour’s Rochester brings brooding charisma and emotional turmoil, with a richly sonorous voice. Isabelle Methven shines in the contrasting roles of saintly Helen and spirited Bessie, while Emily-Rose Samuel (sharing the role with Poppy Jason) impresses as Young Jane/Adele, combining a bright voice with remarkable maturity.

After finally crossing the Atlantic, Caird and Gordon’s ‘Jane Eyre: A Musical’ captures Brontë’s spirit, even if it doesn’t quite match the novel’s force. Still, its ghostly atmosphere and strong performances make it well worth a visit. (Hannah Bothelton)

3 out of 5 stars

Broadway World: 

Gordon and Caird’s lyrics pay lip service to Jane’s longing for freedom, her evolving religious faith, and the ways in which her love for the enigmatic Mr Rochester challenges her. But too often these themes are explained to us didactically, or expressed in generic terms (Jane sings at one point of wishing to “go where I am not allowed”, a strangely childish plea). The eventual conclusion, involving Jane’s matured love for Rochester, is a trite romantic comedy ending rather than a spiritual reckoning.

This is not helped by some odd pacing choices: the first act ends on a forgettable duet between Jane and Rochester, which offers no real plot advancement and causes an awkward break in momentum. Jane and Rochester’s wedding, interrupted by the revelation that he’s already married, only comes about two-thirds of the way through the show, leaving Jane’s emotional journey to stall at the start of the second act. 

What Gordon and Caird have succeeded, though, is in creating a capital-R Romantic, almost operatic emotional world for their characters. Their best writing is that which embraces the natural lyricism in Charlotte Brontë’s writing; famous images from the novel, including the string tying Jane and Rochester together, feel made for song. Elsewhere, if the lyrics fall short, the accompanying soundscape builds back the story’s emotional force, tapping into Jane’s sense of fear, isolation or passion at any given moment. (...)

This production is not the intellectual powerhouse fans of the novel may come to expect, but it does not hold back when it comes to heightened, moving displays of emotion – obeying not the letter of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece, but certainly its spirit. (Clementine Scott)

London Theatre:

The music, which is appealingly sung by the ensemble, soars and harmonises nicely, though the songs have a tendency to blend together and the lyrics can’t resist didacticism. It reaches a climax in Jane’s second-act solo “Painting Her Portrait”, which is a powerful song of ideas. Andrew Johnson provides a clean sound design and the seven-piece band, led by Ben Kubiak, is ideally balanced.

As Jane and Edward Fairfax Rochester, Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour are an appealing pair who share a convincingly yearning chemistry. Unlike their characters, both are conventionally attractive (as is so often the case in adaptations). Burn's Jane feels closer to Belle in Beauty and the Beast than to Brontë's fey, fiery misfit, but she’s a heroine worth rooting for. (...)

The first act anticlimactically culminates with Jane and Rochester admitting their feelings to themselves; the fortune teller scene, proposal, wedding, and its aftermath all come in the second half. Evangelical clergyman St John Rivers (Melad Hamidi) is dealt with swiftly and the convoluted “We are actually cousins” business is eliminated, as is the legacy from the long-lost uncle in Madeira.

As with most adaptations of classic literature, it’s best enjoyed for what it is, rather than fixating on its shortcomings (even if that can be part of the fun). The book will always be there. Reader, I probably wouldn’t marry this show, but I'd go on a date with it. (Julia Rank)

WhatsonStage:

Gordon’s songs lean heavily on soaring ballads and harmonies, many of which, to be frank, rather blend into each other. There are only so many iterations of Jane’s inner yearnings one needs in order to understand the central point that she’s a woman in love. However, a few of the numbers do make a deeper impression, notably “Painting Her Portrait” and the climactic “Brave Enough for Love”, both of which showcase Burn’s West End calibre vocals (she recently starred in Mean Girls).

Although the character arc of Jane never gets its full expression – she feels more Maria in The Sound of Music than fully-fledged proto-feminist literary icon – none of the blame for that can be laid at the feet of Burn, whose intensity is matched by Gilmour’s. They make a superb central pair with chemistry to burn, so to speak (though they’re anything but the ‘plain’ types they claim to be), and are well supported by a multi-rolling ensemble including Isabelle Methven as Jane’s ill-fated childhood friend, Gemma Page as her vindictive aunt, Jonathan Andrew Hume as her sadistic headmaster and Hannah Lindsey as the infamous and ethereal attic-dwelling Bertha. Mention too should go to the accomplished performance of Emily-Rose Samuel (who rotates with Poppy Jason) as both the young Jane and her French-speaking ward. (...)

However, although it doesn’t quite convince as an overlooked masterpiece, there is no doubt it has merits, together with some stonking central performances, and is one that musical aficionados won’t want to miss. (Theo Besanquet)

Theatre Weekly:

The cast are uniformly excellent throughout. Charlie Burn brings determination and intelligence to Jane, while Ashley Gilmour provides a suitably brooding Rochester. Equally impressive is young actor Emily-Rose Samuel, who, at this performance, effortlessly captured both Young Jane and Adèle with remarkable confidence and presence.

This UK premiere tells Brontë’s story with clarity and conviction, supported by strong performances and striking design. Yet despite these accomplishments, it never quite captures the emotional sweep of the great romance at its centre, leaving a production that is engaging, but ultimately less heartfelt than it ought to be. (Greg Stewart) 

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