Established in 1993 and with two venues, both Southwark Playhouse Borough and Southwark Playhouse Elephant have become London’s leading fringe theatre presenting work by the best new and emerging theatre practitioners based in, or visiting, the capital. 

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A story of ambition and independence, gothic mystery and great passionate love that has enchanted generations and is brought into the 21st century with this new production.

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Jane Eyre

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Charlotte Brontë’s 1848 autobiographical/wish fulfilment novel [*Jane Eyre*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/47502-jane-eyre) is a favourite book of many (including this reviewer) that’s often read at a transitional age. With its fervent emotions, passionate love story, and gothic melodrama, it’s in many ways ripe for musical theatre treatment with emotional ballads and sweeping duets. 

Paul Gordon and John Caird’s adaptation premiered in Toronto in 1996 and on Broadway in 2000 (where it received five Tony nominations) and has been revised several times since as a chamber production. This latest version, helmed by original director Caird (*Les Misérables, Nicholas Nickleby*), with Megan McGinnis (who starred in Gordon's *Daddy Long Legs*), marks its professional UK premiere. As an adaptation, it's a sincere effort, even if it’s inevitable that it prioritises the emotional over the intellectual, rather than blending both together.

The opening scenes, charting young Jane’s (Emily-Rose Samuel, an excellent physical match for Charlie Burn as her adult counterpart – she also doubles as the flouncy Adele) upbringing with her horrible Reed relations before being packed off the miserable Lowood boarding school are something of a trial to dramatise, despite their narrative power. Gordon and Caird attempt to integrate the religious fervour that runs through the text, exemplified by child martyr Helen Burns (Isabelle Methven).

![Jane Eyre - LT - 1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2Wgzn7nmldyCXDu4yIZfez/3ff97470cce703c4fbc1e965fe246392/Isabelle_Methven_and_Emily-Rose_Samuel_-_Jane_Eyre_A_Musical_-_photo_credit_Victoria_Davies_-_36.jpg)

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.

Gilmour also doesn’t appear to be much older than Burn. However, they both provide emotive singing and charismatic performances. The emphasis is on their shared growth in self-knowledge through exploring their feelings for each other, even if we could do with one or two fewer angsty ballads.

Poor Bertha (Hannah Lindsey) merely has a cameo in which she’s treated like an animal and then quickly sedated (in contrast, productions by Shared Experience and Sally Cookson’s version for Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre made her an integral part of the action). There isn't much in the way of revisionism here, though a straight adaptation is actually something of a novelty these days.

![Jane Eyre - LT - 1200](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/2eld0v6qzyrM8k13mfn794/4f0b8ddb1840d014fd8e26b4f532121a/Charlie_Burn_and_Ashley_Gilmour_-_Jane_Eyre_A_Musical_-_photo_credit_Victoria_Davies_-_23.png)

Caird and McGinnis’s staging doesn’t fully play up to the story’s full dramatic and visual weight. The crucial scene in which Jane rescues Rochester from the bedroom fire has minimal impact. There's also little sense of the Yorkshire setting. Designer Morgan Large's monochrome set design, featuring Jane's "I am no bird" speech, has a backdrop of brooding projections that get lost. The costuming, comprising stylised black gothic outfits, is reminiscent of a Halloween-themed revue (when Jane is uncloaked, she reveals a distinctly un-governessy off-the-shoulder corset top).  

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.

*Jane Eyre* is at Southwark Playhouse to 24 October. Book [*Jane Eyre* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/47502-jane-eyre) on LondonTheatre.co.uk

*Photo credit: Jane Eyre (Photos by Victoria Davies)*

'Jane Eyre' review — yearning chemistry and emotive singing in this musical adaptation of a classic

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Read our review of *Jane Eyre*, starring Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour, now in performances at Southwark Playhouse to 24 October.

A love that defies convention. A woman who refuses to be contained.

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre burns with love, defiance and a fierce determination to be free. The five-time Tony Award-nominated musical now receives its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant.  

**Southwark Playhouse Elephant** is a remarkable theatre venue located in the bustling city heart of London. Showcasing a blend of contemporary, traditional, and innovative drama performances, it represents a cultural hub for passionates of the arts. This venue houses two intimate settings: the 'large' and the 'little,' both radiating warm, inviting atmospheres welcoming for audience of all ages and backgrounds. 

The theatre promotes a diversity of performances, from award-winning plays to productions by budding playwrights and even workshops aspiring to develop theatre’s future stars. The magical blend of established and upcoming talents sets the stage alight with a unique vibrant energy worth experiencing. 

Southwark Playhouse Elephant decor presents a fusion of modern sophistication with a dash of old-world charm. Its intimate fitting contributes to its unique appeal, immersing you in riveting performances, closing the gap between stage and spectator.

**Getting to the venue: **
Southwark Playhouse Elephant is easily accessible by all public transport services, located just a few steps away from the Elephant & Castle station. Frequent buses also serve the nearby area for access from various locations around the city. The theatre does not provide parking; however, there are numerous secure public car parks in proximity, making it feasible for spectators hoping to travel by car.

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Southwark Playhouse Elephant is an intimate theatre venue in London hosting diverse performances, easily accessible by public transport.

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch - LON [25006] 

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch

Fresh from complete sell out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and around the UK comes this critically acclaimed hit parody musical. ‘Unfortunate’ is coming to London – and things are gonna get wet.


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Southwark Playhouse aims to inspire the next generation of theatregoers, creatives and stories. It aims to facilitate the work of new and emerging theatre practitioners at the start of their careers.

In 2023, there will be two Southwark Playhouse theatres. Southwark Playhouse Borough will be located at 77-85 Newington Causeway, and Southwark Playhouse Elephant will be located at Dante Place. 

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Southwark Playhouse supports emerging theatre practitioners, inspiring new generations. By 2023, it will have two locations: Borough and Elephant.

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