Jane Eyre, Northern Ballet
Dominique Larose and Joseph Taylor in Jane Eyre. © Tristram Kenton
Reader, I’ve seen it.
And it was fine.
It should be of no surprise to anyone who has followed my Instagram page this year that I was very excited to see Northern Ballet’s Jane Eyre when its UK tour finally arrived in London. My favourite piece of classical literature, the fictional biography of a woman who goes from unwanted girl to governess to finacée to her employer (before temporarily running away after THAT twist), is a masterpiece of proto-feminist writing. Written from Jane’s perspective, you see her grow from rebellious child into a woman who wants to take charge of her own narrative, rich as it is with detail and introspection because of its first person prose.
And I think this is where the ballet struggled to come alive.
Dominique Larose (Jane), Julie Nunès (Adele) and Heather Lehan (Mrs Fairfax) in Jane Eyre. © Tristram Kenton
A complex story is hard enough as it is to translate to a mimed 2 hour theatre show, but add in complex character development and relationships and it’s a lot to cram in. The result? A ballet that felt very top level.
Flitting from scene to scene as it did, Marston rarely gave herself the opportunity to indulge in a moment, to let a character breathe and develop. We saw little of Jane’s early childhood, traumatised by her bullying cousins and nonchalant aunt, and even Rochester’s proposal to Jane was a little blink and you miss it. As characters, Jane and Rochester needed to be more distinctive. There were few moments where Jane felt like someone who would say "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will" with her whole chest. Meanwhile Rochester felt confused, both controlling his staff with the extension of a leg (a nice touch), and yet too kind to his ward Adele. In contrast, some of the more minor characters, such as the young Adele and housekeeper Mrs Fairfax, felt like caricatures. They hammed up the playfulness of childhood (to great, positive effect I might add - Julie Nunés was standout) and the housekeeper’s incompetence. A serious play and yet pantomime at the same time - a more even approach to characterisation is needed here.
Amber Lewis (Bertha) and Joseph Taylor (Mr Rochester) in Jane Eyre © Colleen Mair
But that isn’t to say there wasn’t much to love about this adaptation. Philip Feeney’s score was a highlight, throwing us into the 19th century Yorkshire countryside with ease. Meanwhile, Patrick Kinmonth’s sets and costumes were effective, and brought great drama to Bertha’s arson attempts. I also enjoyed how Bertha was woven through the story. A mystery throughout the novel (Jane presumes her to be an unruly maid), she is more visible in this, cackling and skittering through doorways in a clearly told plotpoint.
So, would I recommend this? Yes. It’s a good piece of ballet which is true to the source text and an enjoyable introduction to this seminal piece of British literature. Just don’t expect deeper meaning to be revealed from within Bronte’s prose. As the old saying goes, books are always better.
★★★
Jane Eyre by Cathy Marston
Performed by Northern Ballet at Sadler’s Wells, London / 13 May 2025
Press ticket
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