Preview: Jane Eyre at The Theatre Royal

(This article originally appeared in the NE1 'Get into Newcastle' magazine. For more articles like this, and loads of events and offers fortnightly, look out for your copy of the Get into Newcastle magazine throughout the city)

A gothic mansion, a hostile lunatic and the journey of a strong-willed woman.

From her beginnings as a destitute orphan, Jane Eyre faces life’s obstacles head on, surviving poverty, injustice and the discovery of a bitter betrayal before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.

She’s a character many of us are familiar with - whether that’s from our school days, college years or our own personal Charlotte Bronte readings. For those who aren’t familiar with the trailblazing Jane, she’s definitely one worth studying.

This innovative stage show tells that classic tale, but with a contemporary twist. A production that lets the audience use their own imagination - unusual for a stage show - it’s much like the reading experience. Stripping things back to basics.

The jazz ensemble set the soundtrack with intense twists of string, piano, drum and bass. It’s original and it’s engaging from start to finish. The scene where Jane flees her hometown and the cast group up as a ‘human bus’ is a stand out for us.

With the frameworks of a child’s playground, the set is quite literally as simple as it gets. A conscious effort to ensure the set and costume designs don’t override the essence of the story. The staging has been designed to ensure the cast are involved at all times - from utilising the different levels, to taking on animalistic roles and bringing the set to life with live props. It’s important to follow the story closely to avoid mistaking characters who are played by the same cast member.

Nadia Clifford is magnificent from start to finish. She is present on stage throughout the entire production - her spirit is strong and she moulds effortlessly from innocent, powerless Jane to the strong-willed, free-thinking adult she becomes later on in the play.

Bertha’s voice is also one to look out for - with a stunning rendition of a contemporary tune we all know and love.

“Adapting a novel for the stage is a challenging prospect - especially when the novel is citied as many people’s favourite of all time,” says Director, Sally Cookson.

Well, Sally. You’ve done it brilliantly - and we can’t wait to see it again on Tyneside.

2017 marks the 170th anniversary of the first publication of Jane Eyre. So there isn’t a better time to go check it out at live at the theatre. Don’t miss out at the Theatre Royal until Saturday 8th July!

www.theatreroyal.co.uk