Theatre and Tonic gives 3 stars to Jane Eyre Convention at Just the Tonic at the Mash House. More or less a reenactment of the Bronte novel, the piece focuses on four fans, well, three and a woman dropped off by her boyfriend because she has the same name as the protagonist, even if spelt differently. As they act out Jane Eyre, they learn about how the book is viewed today, but also its influences on their lives. The cast gel well together, never overshadowing each other and having their distinguishable personalities. But it does have to be said that Eleanor Zeal and Ben Everett Riley stand out as a true highlight, at times almost squabbling to the extent of mother and son. There isn’t much substance to the piece outside of Jane Eyre, we learn little things here and there but never overtakes the performance of the book. I didn’t really know anything about Jane Eyre going into this show and felt like it was explained well without ever going into high school English territory. The piece might have benefitted by a little more physicality or bringing some more comedy, as there were jokes here and there but I did struggle to tell if people were laughing or not. Jane Eyre Convention is an exciting way to learn the story written by Charlotte Bronte without ever diverging off into other plots. You will leave wanting to dawn a bonnet and run through the moors, before heading home for shortbread and a cup of Yorkshire tea. (Kerry)
Still on stage, Londonist recommends Jane Eyre the Musical. JANE EYRE: Catch the UK premiere of a musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre, at Southwark Playhouse Elephant. We're promised the chance to "see Jane, the first feminist literary icon, like you never have before" accompanied by a powerful musical score. 28 August-24 October 2026
London Theatre interviews Jonathan Andrew Hume, who plays both Mr Brocklehurst and Mr Mason. Who do you play in Jane Eyre? I play two roles in the show: Brocklehurst, who is head of the school that young Jane [attends], as she leaves her home and begins her journey. He shapes the structure that society is asking young Jane to conform to, which later in the show she gets to break away from. He’s this towering inferno of a person. I also play Mason, who is Rochester’s friend and the brother of someone who I’m not going to mention now, as I don’t want to give away any spoilers! When we first meet him, he seems to be this nice, jovial soul, but later in the show he has a moment that shakes things up completely. I’m looking forward to that moment, and I think [writer] John Caird might actually have to keep a lid on some of the drama that I want to put into it! Why do you think the novel works as a musical? Jane is the protagonist but also the narrator of the piece. The ensemble, as well as Charlie [Burn, who plays adult Jane], are all the voice of Jane Eyre. So there are parts where the narrative is told by myself, or by somebody else. It really gets the audience to sit in as the character of Jane and go on that journey with her. The book is written from Jane’s point of view, so we can all be Jane and experience these things that happen in her life. [...] If you could give a character in the show one piece of advice, what would it be? Run, Jane, run! (Olivia Rook)
Just Watch describes the film adaptation of Victorian Psycho as '‘Jane Eyre’ Meets ‘American Psycho’'. Everyone loves a good period piece, and there's something to be said about the romance and whimsy of Jane Eyre-style period stories in particular. But while these tales are often lofty and low-stakes, A24's Victorian Psycho (2026) puts a twist on that you have to see to believe. (Nicholas Brooks) BBC News reports on Charli XCX's show at Reading Festival. The second act of the performance showcased the breadth of her work, as she moved from pop hit Track 10 from her 2017 mixtape, to the melancholic tones of House, which she co-wrote for the recent Wuthering Heights soundtrack album. (Naomi Clarke)
Parade has an article on the release of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights in 1978.
Talking Shadows Company presents by Rebecca Vines The Space on the Mile, Aug 24-29 12:35 (50 mins)
A vivid exploration of how three sheltered young women from a remote Yorkshire parsonage created some of the most raw, violent and passionate literary works of all time. Charlotte: the ambitious dreamer. Emily: the intense loner. Anne: the gentle, would-be social reformer. And their brother Branwell: the brilliant "lost" boy whose disappointments served only to highlight the extraordinary success of his sisters.
An exhibition at the birthplace will delve into the building’s past, tracing its journey through a butcher’s shop, visitor attraction, café, and a community-owned heritage site. Thomas Haigh, vice chair and marketing and audience development lead at the Brontë Birthplace, said: "While the Brontë Birthplace will always be significant for being the first home of Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell, we know it enjoyed a rich history after their departure. "We want to share this 200-year story with our visitors as well as showcase the challenges, discoveries, and community effort behind the restoration and how this remarkable building continues to evolve and serve a new generation of visitors." The exhibition will feature photographs, plans, memories, and other artefacts that reveal the many lives of the building since the Brontë family lived there. A free walking tour of Thornton will also be offered as part of the Heritage Open Days programme. Led by local historian and Brontë family expert Paul Crossley, the two-hour tour will begin at the birthplace and take visitors to key sites including the Brontë Bell Chapel ruins, Kipping House, South Square Centre, and the village’s historic snickets and ginnels. The tour concludes at the Brontë Birthplace, where visitors can enjoy the café, browse the gift shop, or book a house tour. (...) The Brontë Birthplace exhibition will be open from 11am to 4pm on Sunday, September 13, with Mr Haigh available to answer questions from visitors. The walking tour will take place on Saturday, September 19, starting at 11am. Both events are free to attend. (Harry Williams)
FanCarpet gives the last details before the new production of Jane Eyre opens at Southwark Playhouse Elephant tonight: Perhaps the production's most distinctive feature is its ensemble-led approach. Rather than relying solely on Jane to narrate her own story, the entire company shares responsibility for carrying her voice throughout the performance. It is an imaginative theatrical device that preserves the novel's first-person perspective while embracing the collaborative nature of live theatre.
BookClub reviews Jennifer Vandever's The Brontë Project: However, having returned to it again, it has been a really good read and one that was unexpectedly so, delivering with its dialogue and its quirkiness as well as educating me a lot more about Charlotte Brontë. Sara is a research student whose specialism is Charlotte Brontë and in life, she is pretty certain that she knows where it's heading: she's going to get married to Paul and honeymoon in Paris and then, she's going to continue her research study and find undiscovered letters written by Charlotte which will propel her into the academic stratosphere. (Rachel Deeming)
Clarín (Argentina) highlights some romantasy books like The Knight and the Moth: El caballero y la polilla de la superventas Rachel Gillig. Un libro de fantasía oscura y romance que toma referencias de Jane Eyre y Juego de tronos. Una joven clarividente atrapada en una catedral y un caballero grosero, atractivo y sin respeto por las profecías. (Translation) The Sun's mini crossword contains a Brontë-related question today: Yorkshire town where the Brontë family lived. CALL FOR PAPERS! 📝 We're inviting proposals for papers on The Brontës and the Supernatural for a one day, in-person symposium in Haworth. 👻 This symposium seeks to broaden the parameters of Gothic scholarship on the Brontës by exploring the diverse supernatural traditions, beliefs and cultural narratives that informed the family’s imaginative and everyday worlds. We welcome new and original symposium paper proposals from academics, postgraduates and enthusiasts on topics that have perhaps received less attention. Proposals (of no more than 300 words) for 20-minute papers should be submitted to bronte@bronte.org.uk with the subject 'Symposium' by 31 December 2026.
And here it is, the London premiere of the Gordon & Caird Jane Eyre musical:
Adam Blanshay Productions and David & Hannah Mirvish present Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon Book and Additional Lyrics by John Caird Co-Directed by John Caird and Megan McGinnis Georgina Lamb, Choreographer James Whiteside, Lighting Designer Southwark Playhouse - Elephant 28 Aug - 24 Oct 2026
With Charlie Burn as Jane Ashley Gilmour as Rochester Claire Greenway as Abbot / Grace Poole Melad Hamidi as St John / Lord Ingram Jonathan Andrew Hume as Brocklehurst / Mason Izzi Levine as Agnes / Leah / Jane’s Mother / Mary Ingram Hannah Lindsey as Scatcherd / Bertha Mason Isabelle Methven as Helen Burns / Bessie Gemma Page as Reed / Fairfax Eve Shanu-Wilson as Blanche / Sophie Connor Wood as John Reed / Vicar Poppy Jason as Young Jane / Adele Emily-Rose Samuel as Young Jane / Adele
The iconic tale reimagined for its UK premiere. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” This five-time Tony nominated musical retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s revolutionary novel makes its UK premiere. A story of ambition and independence, gothic mystery and great passionate love, Jane Eyre has enchanted generations and is brought into the 21st century with this new production. Accompanied by an epic sweeping score, prepare to see Jane, the first feminist literary icon, like you never have before. Co-directed by John Caird, best known for international hit Les Misérables, and Broadway veteran Megan McGinnis, with music by Daddy Long Legs’ Paul Gordon.
Broadway World reviews Brontë Sister House Party.If you’ve ever wondered what it may be like to party with the Brontё sisters, get ready to sip on a lot of cordials, margaritas, and rosè and experience an evening like no other at Nu Sass Productions’ Brontё Sister House Party. Join Emily (Leah Ly), Charlotte (Aubri O’Connor), and Anne (Rose Hahn) Brontё, alongside their brother Branwell (Ty Edwards) and some other very special guests, as they throw yet another house party that they hope will help them escape the Purgatorial time loop in which they are trapped. Many, many years after their untimely deaths, the Brontё sisters have found themselves stuck in Purgatory by the Lavender Witch of Gondol (a creation from their own imaginations), which requires them to throw a party every single night until they are able to reach The Point of Celebratory Reverence; except they don’t know what that requires, or do they? In order to gain approval from the Lavender Witch of Gondol, the Brontёs turn to some special guests to to keep their party attendees entertained: Wuthering Heights’ Cathy (Brenna Horner), Jane Eyre’s Helen Burns (Alyssa Nolan), and famed English singer Kate Bush (Madeline Marie). Through a wide variety of musical numbers, their stories are told (and hopefully earn audience approval) and the complexities of everyone’s lives are exposed. Do they ever make it out of this time loop? You’ll just have to see for yourselves! Charlotte’s (Aubri O’Connor) expectations of perfection and anxiety surrounding the party are palpable. O’Connor’s portrayal of the eldest sister is brilliant and because of this, I was able to empathize with her desire to protect her sisters, reconnect with her love, and remain optimistic that this time loop will eventually end. I commend O’Connor for her raw emotion and dedication to the role - it is a performance that has left an impression on me. In contrast to Charlotte’s range of emotion, Emily (Leah Ly) is pessimistic and remains that way through most of the show, even though she may know the way out. Whether that level of pessimism was the original intention or not, Ly’s performance remains at one level - always a bit mopey and apathetic. More depth to Emily’s character would have been an added bonus to this production. (...) Nu Sass Productions’ Brontё Sister House Party is a fun night out and a great way to spend an evening in this last part of summer. There are a variety of special performances coming up, including a free performance on September 8th during Art All Night sponsored by Van Ness Main Street, and they are all worth checking out. I’m eager to see what else Nu Sass Productions has in store this year! (Abby Korb)
LBC has an article on the plans for a wind farm at the heart of Brontë Country and how the locals (and visitors, we would add) are against it. Walking in Brontë country on the Moors above Haworth is like walking in one of the famous sisters’ novels. But the landscape that inspired Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, a story revived in the latest Hollywood film starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, is under threat, according to some local residents. Thirty-four wind turbines, each one standing at 200 metres tall, are being planned for construction on Crow Hill on the Moors here. Nick Makinnon’s home sits on part of the Brontë walk, taking in the stunning views of the dramatic scenery. He is among a large group in the surrounding area who are campaigning against these plans. “It’s a special protection area for enlisted birds, it’s a conservation area and it’s the inspiration for the Brontë sisters” Nick explained. “So on those three axes, it’s the worst site in England.” A spokesperson for Calderdale Energy Park told LBC: “Our assessment work to date concludes that Top Withens (the farmhouse that inspired Wuthering Heights) and its Brontë associations would remain intact, with no harm to its heritage significance. “The nearest turbine would be more than 800 metres away and positioned beyond intervening landform, limiting its prominence in views from the site.” To that, Nick said this goes much deeper…literally. “Amazingly, there’s only one site in England where you get a peat landslide known as a ‘bog burst’, where the bog explodes under pressure.” Nick pointed out. “The only place it happens in England is on Crow Hill. The developers of the Wind Farm have very recently decided it needs to go over that area.” In response to Nick's comments, a spokesperson for Calderdale Energy Park told LBC: “Detailed peat, ground condition and stability assessments are ongoing, and the findings will inform the project's final design. “The design has already evolved through two stages of peat probing and hydrological surveys, moving infrastructure away from deeper peat and adjusting track alignments to follow shallower corridors, with floating tracks proposed in suitable locations to avoid cutting into peat altogether.” Around 80,000 visitors come to the area each year, many wanting to see the history of the Brontës. Rebecca Yorke, the Director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said if this energy park were to go ahead, it would “change the landscape forever". “It would be very mercenary to say it would have an impact on tourism; we don’t know if it would stop people coming here,” she said. “But what we do know is that their experience would be very different. That landscape would not be the same, the wildlife wouldn’t be there. "To walk those moors is like walking in the Brontës' imagination. You can’t separate the landscape from their writing.” (Alex Taylor-Brown)
Wide Sargasso Sea feels like it’s in conversation with Edward Long’s The History of Jamaica. He goes off on white women in the Caribbean. How the white woman is this feral creature, she may be tainted, possibly insane, certainly full of wanton lust. My theory is that Charlotte Brontë read it, and hence we get the madwoman in the attic, who’s from Jamaica. Brontë wouldn’t have known a thing about Jamaica. Her only source would have been written material, and the only written material I know of from that period would be Edward Long’s History. So if you’re Jean Rhys, not only are your characters these women, but you’re also that woman. And I think she felt driven to give that woman a voice and agency. People think she only did that in Voyage in the Dark or Wide Sargasso Sea, but she did it in all her books. (Nick Hilden)
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