The Brontë Society, the charity that has protected and preserved the legacy of the Brontë family for over 130 years, has been awarded a grant of £232,058 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. As the Brontë Parsonage Museum looks towards its centenary in 2028, this funding will safeguard the Brontës’ internationally significant heritage for generations to come.  

As the Brontë Society’s collection has outgrown its current storage capacity, more comprehensive, secure and maintained storage is needed. Plans for the necessary creation of a new, purpose built, environmentally controlled space will now be progressed with the support of this funding, alongside the development of a site-wide masterplan that will include the Museum and a trio of buildings on West Lane, Haworth.

The funding project, entitled ‘The Road to Resilience’, will support several key elements for the Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum, through:

• The creation of new, bespoke storage and the relocation of what is an Arts Council England ‘Designated’ collection of over 8,000 objects - and the world’s largest collection of Brontë-related material
• Exploring the viability of conserving and re-using spaces in the recently acquired nearby historic buildings on West Lane.
• Documenting specialist curatorial expertise for the long-term benefit of staff, volunteers, researchers and visitors.

Rebecca Yorke, Director of the Brontë Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: “As we approach the Brontë Parsonage Museum's centenary in 2028, we have a responsibility not only to celebrate everything that has been achieved over the past one hundred years, but also to ensure this remarkable collection is protected for the next century and beyond.

“’The Road to Resilience’ is about laying those foundations. Through developing plans for improved, bespoke storage and preserving the specialist knowledge of our team through dedicated time spent capturing decades of expertise from the curatorial team, we can ensure the Brontës' extraordinary legacy continues to inspire staff, researchers, visitors and future generations.”

A part-time Project Curator has been recruited to oversee the sensitive relocation of the collections, coordinate updates to curatorial records and lead the capture of institutional knowledge as part of ‘The Road to Resilience’. During the process of transferring, logging and digitising the extensive collection, which features items used during the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne including early writings and drawings; poetry manuscripts and diary papers; correspondence; clothing; jewellery; locks of hair and household possessions; there will be opportunities for volunteers to engage with the collection.

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “The Brontës hold a special place in the literary heritage of England, so we are delighted to support the Brontë Society with a grant to work towards a strong and resilient future for the organisation and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. It is fantastic news that thanks to National Lottery players, the Society can now develop plans to shape its future and continue to inspire the next generation as it approaches its centenary.”

‘The Road to Resilience’ project is due to be delivered between autumn 2026-2027, ahead of the centenary year celebrations for the Museum.

Olivia Marcus as Jane Eyre was astounding. Her mannerisms perfectly portrayed an honest, “poor, obscure, plain, little Jane”. Her depiction of this wonderfully peculiar and lonely character had all the confusion and frustration of someone trapped in the wrong circumstances and time. Her Mr Rochester (Gabriel Akuwudike) was wickedly manipulative with a marked dark streak, although Akuwudike managed to add complexity in the way he depicted Mr Rochester’s underlying affection and vulnerability. Special mention must go to Andrea Gatchalian, who absolutely dazzled the audience with her multiple roles as Helen and Adele. Adorable Adele (Gatchalian) brought some much-needed opportunities for lightness and laughter, and her bouncy childish joy and silliness gave the performance a balance. Leo Wan as Brocklehurst was as sinister as can be and had me quaking in my boots. Overall, the cast were incredible and made the production seamless and captivating.

The staging was sparse, featuring almost all the action on huge steps. This allowed, and indeed needed, a well thought-out and clever use of the space. The steps allowed hierarchies to be immediately clear, as well as allowing the small cast of eight to hustle and bustle around, using vertical space to make the supporting cast seem more numerous. The choreography (Natasha Harrison) was stylised and worked really well to add a dreamlike quality to the production. Movement and repetition were also used very cleverly to mark the passing of time and depict the gruelling and thankless routines that built the early part of Jane’s life.

It’s so tricky to translate a novel to a stage, especially one that’s so heavy with inner monologue and a central, isolated character. However, the genius way that this production tackled that not only successfully achieved this goal, but it demonstrated a new depth to Jane Eyre’s character. Even with a relatively small cast, it often felt like there was a larger chorus due to the ever-changing costumes, characters and frequent stylised movement. Shadows and clever lighting (Sánchez Roldán) often enhanced the feeling that the cast were more numerous. Cast members also frequently stood at the sides, observing the action, giving the whole performance an eerie feel of some unknown spectator.

I will not give out any spoilers, but the climax of the performance was heart-stopping – even if you’re a Jane Eyre nerd like me and already know the ending! This show was all-out genius; from the direction to the adaptation, and from the lighting to every single member of the cast. A true-to-text production, with ongoing and occasionally explosive airs of madness, loneliness, self-doubt and secrets. This was truly a triumph! (Melina Turner-Deeks)

   

This has been a new chance to see the Huju opera Moon by the Lake, inspired by Jane Eyre in Shanghai:

临湖明月 (Shadow by moon)

Director: Yi Tianfu

With: Wang Bin and Zhu Zhen

Hongqiao Art Center

November 3-4

The polished revised edition of Huju opera Moonlight Shadow, produced by the Shanghai Changning District Huju Opera Heritage Preservation Center, premiered on Tuesday night at the Hongqiao Art Center.

It adapts Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre into a Shanghai folk-opera performed in Shanghainese, the intangible cultural heritage that bears distinctive Haipai cultural genes.

Belonging to Huju's iconic "suit-and-cheongsam" drama genre, the story is reset in early‑20th‑century Shanghai, a city deeply embedded in the Jiangnan cultural sphere. It traces orphan governess Feng Mingyue and Lu Peiyan, master of Linhu Manor. The pair goes through conflicts and misunderstandings before developing a sincere love built on mutual dignity and equality. The adaptation preserves the spiritual core of the original novel while infusing strong regional Shanghai and Jiangnan artistic charm.

   

Shin Choon-soo, chief executive and producer of OD Company who has been active on Broadway, will unveil "Wuthering Heights," a new musical aimed at the global market, in January. It is his first global project in three years, following "The Great Gatsby," which opened on Broadway in 2024.

OD Company said at a news conference at SKY31 in Lotte World Tower on the 3rd that the original musical "Wuthering Heights" will have its world premiere at the CJ Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center from Jan. 26 to Feb. 28 next year. The production is a new adaptation by a Korean creative team of the novel by British author Emily Brontë.

"I remember staying up all night, overwhelmed with emotion, after reading the work as a middle school student," Shin said. "Turning such a well-known classic into a musical does carry some pressure, but I chose it because the source material is so compelling — it is hard to find a story this absorbing, with such deep interior lives and narrative power."

The production goes beyond the love and revenge between Heathcliff and Catherine that form the core of the novel, extending into the tragedy and passion carried on by the next generation. Where previous films and stage works focused mainly on the love, conflict and revenge surrounding Heathcliff, Catherine and Catherine's brother, this production widens the story to ask how the wounds of the parents' generation affect the one that follows.

Notably, one actor plays both Catherine and her daughter, portraying a figure who witnesses and consoles Heathcliff's loneliness and madness. "It poses a fundamental question about whether the wounds left by the parents' generation and the cycle of destructive revenge carry on into the next," Shin said.

Another distinguishing feature is that Korean creators led the development of the work. "I believed that the delicate emotional shading characteristic of Korean creative teams, and a musical language that maximizes narrative, could bring out the explosive energy of the original," Shin said. The book and lyrics are by Han Jae-eun, known for the musicals "Fan Letter" and "Time of Dogs and Cats," with music by Jo Woo-in, who composed the scores for "Nambeol" and "SPECIAL S."

Joining them are Michael Fentiman, a director who has worked in London's West End, and Jason Howland, an arranger active on Broadway. Howland is also known as the composer of the Korean original musical "Swing Days: Codename A." OD Company plans to present the work to Korean audiences first before taking it overseas. Specific overseas performance schedules and destinations have not yet been confirmed.

Shin has expanded his presence in the global musical market since bringing "The Great Gatsby" to Broadway in 2024. "The Great Gatsby" is still running on Broadway in an open-ended engagement, and has drawn about 1 million theatergoers and recorded about 200 billion won ($136 million) in revenue through its Broadway run and North American tour.

High production and operating costs mean the show has yet to break even. "Musicals are a genre where you can only turn a profit by sustaining performances over the long term through open-ended runs and tours," Shin said, stressing that productions must be developed and managed with a long-term view. The plan for "Wuthering Heights" is likewise to build competitiveness in the global market through continued performances rather than short-term box-office success. (Lee Hye-jin)

From The Korea Herald:

Producer Shin Chun-soo took “The Great Gatsby” from its 2024 Broadway premiere to London and Seoul. His next musical, another classic novel adaptation developed alongside “Gatsby,” carries the same global ambition but reverses the route.

“Wuthering Heights,” based on Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, will have its world premiere in Seoul in January, rather than in London, as Shin had once considered.

The 58-year-old veteran producer told reporters Tuesday that he decided to bet on a Korean writer and composer — and on Korean audiences, whom he described as deeply engaged and discerning.

“I really wanted this one to have its world premiere in Seoul,” he said. “I hoped to show it to these audiences first, then take it out to the world.”

The decision comes as “Gatsby” gives Shin a footing few Korean producers have had on Broadway. [...]

With “Wuthering Heights,” he has put a Korean writer and composer at the center, joined by Korean designers and an international team that is largely British.

“With ‘Gatsby,’ I read the English script and the translated script over and over, and fighting over every single line was really hard,” Shin said. “Working with Korean writers, the density of the story and the detail of the emotions really pile up. That is the solid core of this piece.”

The book and lyrics are by Han Jae-eun, known for intimate musicals “Fan Letter” and “It Rains Cats and Dogs.” The score is by Cho Woo-in, a classically trained composer who studied at Hanyang University and in US. Cho is not yet a mainstream name, but Shin said he recognized the Korean composer’s musicality long ago, and the two writers have been developing the show together since 2020.

Costume designer Kim Hwan, who works in Germany, and makeup designer Kim Nam-sun round out the Korean side. They are joined by British director Michael Fentiman, choreographer Alexzandra Sarmiento, set designer Max Jones and lighting designer Tim Lutkin, who designed “Life of Pi.” Jason Howland, who composed “Gatsby,” is the music supervisor and orchestrator.

Shin is also bringing a Broadway-style development process to a Korean stage. Most productions, he said, move quickly from setup to previews to opening night, leaving little time to fix what does not work.

For “Wuthering Heights,” OD Company has rented the 1,004-seat CJ Towol Theater for three months, though the show will run for only five weeks. The rest of the time goes to setup, technical and dress rehearsals and closed previews. (Park Ga-young)

We are not leaving the stages in Asia yet, as China Daily reports that a Huju opera called Moonlight Shadow is based on Jane Eyre.

The polished revised edition of Huju opera Moonlight Shadow, produced by the Shanghai Changning District Huju Opera Heritage Preservation Center, premiered on Tuesday night at the Hongqiao Art Center.

It adapts Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre into a Shanghai folk-opera performed in Shanghainese, the intangible cultural heritage that bears distinctive Haipai cultural genes.

Belonging to Huju's iconic "suit-and-cheongsam" drama genre, the story is reset in early‑20th‑century Shanghai, a city deeply embedded in the Jiangnan cultural sphere. It traces orphan governess Feng Mingyue and Lu Peiyan, master of Linhu Manor. The pair goes through conflicts and misunderstandings before developing a sincere love built on mutual dignity and equality. The adaptation preserves the spiritual core of the original novel while infusing strong regional Shanghai and Jiangnan artistic charm.

Helmed by Yi Tianfu, professor at Shanghai Theatre Academy, this upgraded version comes four years after its 2022 debut. National first-class actor Wang Bin takes on the role of Lu, while Zhu Zhen — the city's young Huju-opera intangible-cultural-heritage inheritor — plays heroine. The cast has refined vocal tunes, stage visuals, and character interactions to achieve more nuanced psychological expression.

"Onstage, every gesture, glance, and pause must convey unspoken inner thoughts, rather than merely reciting lines," Wang said. "For this revival, we have dug far deeper into subtle, progressive emotional shifts between our two characters to avoid flat performances."

Zhu pointed out the real-world dilemma facing Shanghainese inheritance. "Many young Shanghai residents can understand the dialect, yet feel too shy to speak it," she said. "Live theater gives us a vivid, public channel to hand down this precious linguistic heritage to younger generations." (Zheng Yiran)

   

A new edition of Eva Figes's 1977 retelling of Wuthering Heights from Nelly's point of view was published a few weeks ago:

Nelly's Version

by Eva Figes

Introduction by Susan Faludi

Dalkey Archive Press

Paperpack: 9781628976618

eBook: 9781628976625

Publication Date: August 16th, 2026

Eva Figes' inventive reshaping of the psychological thriller, Nelly's Version—part dark comedy, part mystery novel—offers an unsettling journey into the mind of a witty woman stuck in a pastless present.

A middle-aged woman suffering from amnesia checks into a small-town hotel under the pseudonym Nelly Dean with a suitcase full of cash and no idea where it, or she, came from. Distrustful of everyone from the waiter who serves her lunch to the store clerk who claims to know her from grade school, Nelly fears she is part of a conspiracy. At the same time, however, she remains strangely indifferent to the clues that might explain her puzzling circumstances and is unaffected by the many assaults, robberies, arsons, and other crimes occurring around her.

Named after the housekeeper in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, Nelly Dean is an endearingly unhinged character who will fascinate and excite readers in this deranged literary thriller, featuring an introduction by Susan Faludi.

   

St John the Baptist Church in Tunstall, located in North Lancashire and famed for its links to the Brontë sisters, hopes to raise the funds for specialist conservation of its windows, stonework and parapets.

A recent survey found that several stained glass windows are in urgent need of repair, including those depicting Joan of Arc, St George, and St Michael. [...]

The Grade I listed church was attended by the Brontë sisters during their time at school in nearby Cowan Bridge and later appeared as Brocklebridge Church in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. (Sonia Veneziani-Rocha)