New windows for the Old School Room

The Telegraph and Argus reports that the Old School Room in Haworth has just been given a 'facelift'.

The Old School Room in Haworth, whose original section was constructed in 1832 by the Rev. Patrick Brontë, has had five windows on its north-facing wall replaced as part of essential restoration work.

Averil Kenyon, chairman of The Brontë Spirit, the charity that maintains the building, said: "The south wall windows were replaced back in 2012, and it has taken us 14 years to raise sufficient funds to undertake the restoration of the north-facing windows.

"We’re delighted with the result because the new windows have been designed to match the style of the windows that were originally part of the building."

The project cost £24,000 and was supported by grants from the Bernard Sunley Foundation and The Pilgrim Trust. (Harry Williams)

Chester Nub News announces a stage adaptation of Jane Eyre to be performed at Storyhouse starting November 10.

A powerful new stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's classic Jane Eyre arrives at Storyhouse this autumn.

Directed by Lily Dyble, Jane Eyre will run at the Chester venue from Tuesday 10 November to Saturday 21 November. [...]

"Charlotte Brontë's revolutionary masterpiece Jane Eyre remains as potent today as it did when it was written in 1847, said Storyhouse creative director Suzie Henderson.

"This dynamic and imaginative new stage adaptation promises to present it in visceral and powerful fashion.

"I'm delighted to be able to reveal such an exciting cast of talented actors who are working with Lily Dyble in the rehearsal room to bring her thrilling storytelling vision to life for our audiences here at Chester."

The role of Jane will be played by Olivia Marcus, while Gabriel Akuwudike will appear as Edward Rochester. The cast also includes Oscar Adams, Aamira Challenger, Millie Faraway, Andrea Gatchalian, Kate Kordel, Robyn Rose-Li and Leo Wan.

Jane Eyre is a Storyhouse, Mercury Theatre Colchester, and Rose Theatre co-production, in association with Northern Stage, supported by a grant from the Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST).

The production is based on Sally Cookson, Mike Akers and the original company's acclaimed adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's groundbreaking novel.

Set designer is Anna Yates, costume designer is Khadija Raza, lighting design is by Lucia Sanches Roldan, and Joseff Harris is sound designer and composer. Movement director is Natasha Harrison, Fight director is Rachid Sabitri and intimacy director is Haruka Kuroda. Casting is by Helena Palmer. (Dherran Titherington)

Broadway World reports the cast of this production too.

For The Guardian, musicals seem to be a new thing. Reviewing a stage adaptation of Three Men in a Boat:

The 135-minute show is punctuated by eight musical numbers and, though it is now almost obligatory for classic literature to be sung and danced (the most recent victim Jane Eyre), this is a logical candidate. (Mark Lawson)

The fact that a theatre critic makes that comment and doesn't even know that Jane Eyre. The Musical is new to London but not actually new (the first production in Toronto was exactly 30 years ago) so hardly 'most recent' shows quite a degree of ignorance. Many musicals have been written in 30 years.

The Standard reviews the new film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility reminding us of reviews of Joe Wright's take on Pride and Prejudice twenty years ago:

Things are moody and at times almost Brontë-esque thanks to Arnaud Potier’s autumnal cinematography and the rolling, rain-lashed hills. (Hannah Pettit)

El País (in Catalan) reviews the novel Mons on trobar-te by Berta Creus.

Aïllada al poble diminut de les muntanyes pirinenques on ella i en Sebastià van anar a raure, en bona part perquè era el lloc on vivia un amic comú —que a l’inici de la novel·la es converteix en la nova parella de la protagonista—, la Jara sembla una reencarnació del Heathcliff de Cims borrascosos (una de les citacions que encapçalen la novel·la és d’Emily Brontë), com si perseguint-lo i invocant-lo en tot moment tingués també la prerrogativa de fer-lo present: inquieta i nerviosa, el busca pels paisatges que recorrien o al riu on es banyaven, acariciant els guants de llana que li havia regalat, o en les tres ratlles horitzontals —“una de ben recta que separa el cel gris clar del mar gris fosc, i una de desdibuixada que separa el mar gris fosc del prat mig gris”— de la fotografia que hi ha penjada al menjador. (Ponç Puigdevall) (Translation)

Rissi Writes posts about Jane Eyre 2006. The Brussels Brontë Blog features Lilia Hassaine's JE.