Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Adapted
for the stage by Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij. Directed by Michael Futcher.
Designed by Josh Macintosh. Original music and songs composed by Sarah
McLeod. Cast: Helen Howard. Nelle Lee,
Sarah McLeod. Julian Garner. The Playhouse. Canberra Theatre Centre. May 17-21
2022. Bookings: www.canberratheatre.org.au;
62435711
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
Shake ‘n Stir Theatre Company’s
original adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s gothic tale, Jane Eyre is a theatrical powerhouse. Shake n Stir are fiercely
faithful to the spirit of Bronte’s work. Coming as it does at the end of the
gothic literary era, Jane Eyre’s search for independence and love is marked by
the dark and brooding elements of the gothic era. In a production so gripping
that an audience is utterly transfixed, Jane Eyre ( beautifully played by Nelle
Lee) suffers the childhood cruelty of her
bitter Aunt Reid (Helen Howard) before being sent to a charity school for eight
years. At Thornfield Hall, Jane discovers a love for her mysterious employer Mr
Rochester, played with commanding presence and conviction by Julian Garner,
only to discover the existence of his mad and entrapped wife.
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Nelle Lee as Jane Eyre. Julian Garner as Rochester
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A daunting air of mystery and
dread hangs over Josh Macintosh’s dimly lit set design for Shake n Stir’s
riveting production of
Jane Eyre. Sarah
McLeod’s mood evoking composition and original songs rent the air with fierce
foreboding. The composer/singer astounds
with a voice that can chill the spine or thaw the coldest heart. Director
Futcher’s clear sighted vision has combined the element in perfect accord with
a superb quartet of actors and innovative creatives. The result is a production
that stirs and shakes the mind and soul as we are drawn irrevocably into Charlotte
Bronte’s tale of a young girl in search of freedom, love and independence. Bronte’s saga of suffering and longing and
eventual happiness and independent freedom is told with stunning clarity by four actors who deftly take on the many
characters of Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij’s faithful and forceful adaptation. Lee
and Skubij skilfully interweave the elements of cruelty and suffering at the
aunt’s residence, the confinement and deprived liberty of the charity school
and the horrific madness of the imprisoned Bertha Mason, played to macabre effect
by Sarah McLeod, who also doubles at times as a dancing music box doll
interpretation of Rochester’s young ward Adele. Director
Michael Futcher adroitly manoeuvres the action to provide a clear narrative
while also orchestrating the tension and the suspense, assisted by McLeod’s
haunting melodies and Macintosh’s lighting and astounding use of pyrotechnics.
It is the production’s gripping fusion of the many aspects of production that
makes this an unforgettable and thought-provoking performance.
Central to the success of
Shake ‘n Stir's
Jane Eyre is the quality
and versatility of Futcher’s four actors. While Garner, Howard and McLeod switch
characters with convincing agility, Lee remains in the eponymous role, swept
along by fate and fortune. Central to the plot is the
relationship between Jane Eyre and her employer Mr. Rochester. Lee and Garner chart the challenging journey from servant and master to romantic lovers,
thwarted by a dark secret and reunited by the power of devotion with
performances that charm and move to tears. Howard and McLeod support the core
story with an admirable display of believable versatility. In casting four
excellent performers to play the many roles, Futcher has also created a
powerfully effective ensemble to bring
Bronte’s characters to life.
A happy ending gives cause for
reflection in Shake ‘n Stir’s production. Their streamlined account of the
story of a young girl innately independent and battling the forces of a society
constrained by convention, intolerant morality and abusive faith reveals a
writer living in the isolated world of the Yorkshire moors propounding a feminist vision well ahead of her
time and pleading for a compassionate and just society. It is a plea echoed in
a true and impactful depiction of Bronte’s moral saga. Shake ‘n Stir Theatre
Company’s inspired and inspiring production sets the imagination on fire in a
theatrical triumph that will linger long after the audience leaves the theatre.
Photos by David Fell
