FanCarpet publishes an interview with John Caird on adapting Jane Eyre for the stage as a musical: 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 Paul Gordon (‘Daddy Long Legs’). With Jane Eyre preparing to make its long-awaited UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, The Fan Carpet sat down with co-book writer and co-director John Caird to discuss bringing Charlotte Brontë’s literary masterpiece to the stage. (...) John Caird: I’m John Caird. I’m the co-book writer and co-director of Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is one of the great literary classics. What was it about Charlotte Brontë’s story that first spoke to you? John Caird: I just love the character of Jane. She’s such a feisty, funny, clever and spirited young woman right from the very beginning, and watching her grow throughout the story is such a beautiful journey. Of course, it’s also a great love story. The girl who has nothing meets the man who appears to have everything, but that’s not how it turns out. Jane ends up discovering her own strength and self-worth, while Rochester loses everything he thought defined him. It’s a wonderful reversal. One of the production’s most unique ideas is that the ensemble all become Jane’s voice throughout the performance. Can you explain the thinking behind that? John Caird: Because it’s an autobiographical novel, you can’t really ask one actress to sing all of the songs and deliver all of the narration—you’d simply become overwhelmed by hearing the same voice throughout. By allowing the ensemble to speak with Jane’s voice, they share the responsibility of telling her story. They’re not literally becoming Jane herself; they’re helping to narrate her journey while she’s living it. It creates a much richer theatrical experience. You’re bringing this production home to the UK. How does that feel? John Caird: It’s wonderful. We’ve got a fantastic cast, two brilliant young performers, and we’ve only just begun rehearsals, but I’m already having a wonderful time. It’s been an incredibly enjoyable process so far.
The Collector has a list of museums dedicated to the greatest authors: 9. The Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth, England The Brontë Sisters sculpture in the grounds at Haworth, depicting Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, three women who produced some of the most enduring novels in the English language. Perched atop the steep main street in the Yorkshire village of Haworth, the Brontë Parsonage Museum is the former home of one of the most extraordinary literary families in history. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë grew up in this modest Georgian house from 1820 onward, and it was here, looking out over the wild moorland that would influence their fiction, that they wrote Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. As you might expect, the museum holds the world’s largest collection of Brontë artifacts, including original manuscripts, personal letters, and childhood writing. Insider tip: A walk across the moors to Top Withens, the ruined farmhouse thought to have inspired Wuthering Heights, is about four miles round trip and well worth the effort on a clear day. (Laura Pattara)
Proyecto Eyre is a contemporary dance creation project directed by Pepe Hevia, inspired by Jane Eyre. Part of the Proyectos de Creación del Británico program in Miraflores, Perú. It offers audiences an inside look at how a stage performance is built through open rehearsals, film screenings, and workshops:
En busca de Jane: Proyección de Cine: Jane Eyre 2011 August 13, 7:30pm Teatro Británico ¿Quieres recordar la historia de Jane Eyre o descubrirla por primera vez? Te invitamos a la proyección de la adaptación cinematográfica más reciente de esta famosa novela. Una nueva oportunidad para sumergirte en esta inolvidable historia de amor, independencia y búsqueda de identidad, y acercarte al universo que inspira nuestra creación escénica.
En busca de Jane: Clase práctica de danza escénica August 15, 2:30pm Británico Cultural En esta clase, el entrenamiento toma como punto de partida la gestualidad y la arquitectura emocional de los personajes que darán vida a Jane Eyre. Una creación que se sumerge en la tensión entre lo íntimo y lo salvaje, buscando una riqueza simbólica del movimiento llevada hacia los límites de un lenguaje contemporáneo arriesgado, visceral y profundamente humano.
En busca de Jane: Book Club August 15, 5:00pm Studio del Cultural Station Comparte con nosotros un afternoon con The Tea Room by The Gay Baker y redescubre Jane Eyre, la célebre novela de Charlotte Brontë cuya vigencia continúa cautivando a nuevas generaciones de lectores. Acompañados por Valeria Rossi, exploraremos los temas y las preguntas que han convertido esta historia en un clásico: la búsqueda de la propia identidad, la independencia y una historia de amor tan apasionada como incómoda, que sigue invitándonos a cuestionar qué esperamos del amor, cuánto estamos dispuestos a ceder por él y qué significa elegir sin traicionarnos a nosotros mismos. Una lectura contemporánea que dialoga con las inquietudes de hoy, sin dejar de sumergirnos en la intensidad y el encanto de la obra original.
En busca de Jane: Ensayo abierto August 15 7:30pm Teatro Británico ¿Cómo se construye una obra de danza a partir de una historia como Jane Eyre? Si alguna vez has sentido que la danza es difícil de entender, te has preguntado cuál es la diferencia entre el ballet y la danza contemporánea, o simplemente quieres conectar más profundamente con lo que sucede en escena, esta es una oportunidad para hacer preguntas, mirar de cerca y descubrir, junto a quienes la crean, nuevas maneras de leer y disfrutar un espectáculo de danza. En esta actividad podrás entrar al espacio de creación de Jane Eyre y presenciar desde adentro cómo se construye una obra de danza. A través de conversaciones con Pepe Hevia y el elenco, ejercicios y fragmentos en desarrollo, descubrirás cómo una novela se transforma en movimiento y cómo la danza puede narrar una historia y dar vida a personajes complejos sin necesidad de palabras.
Via Andina.
An alert from the Brontë Parsonage Museum for tomorrow, August 13:
Thu 13 Aug 2 pm (In-person) Brontë Space at the Old School Room Thu 13 Aug 7:30pm (Online)
A hundred and eighty years ago the first publication by the “Bells” appeared: an obscure volume of poems which sold only two copies. Eighteen months later Jane Eyre would become a bestseller. This talk will explore the history of Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell and pay tribute to the Brontë sisters as poets. This Thursday Talk will be given by author, teacher and Museum volunteer Tamar Yellin.
Deadline announces in an exclusive that the BBC has joined Working Title in the production of Aimee Lou Wood's Jane Eyre. EXCLUSIVE: Deadline can reveal that the BBC has joined Working Title’s new TV adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre, which will be led by The White Lotus and Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood. As we revealed earlier this year, Emmy nominee Wood is attached to play the indomitable heroine in the buzzy adaptation, which is being produced by UK powerhouse Working Title and is penned by Miriam Battye, a WGA Award winner for her work on Succession. We understand the BBC is now attached to develop the project and become its broadcaster-financier. (Andreas Wiseman)
Collider ranks 'The 10 Best Coming-of-Age Books of All Time' and Jane Eyre makes it to #8. 8 'Jane Eyre' (1847) You might see Jane Eyre referred to as a bildungsroman, which is really just a fancier-sounding name for a “coming-of-age story.” The titular character is introduced as a young girl who lives a challenging childhood, though it’s far from exclusively about her younger years, considering the length of time the whole psychologically tense and dense novel ends up spanning. But since those early years are so significant to what happens later, it makes that coming-of-age component of the novel very necessary. Also, plenty of good stories about not only growing up, but emotionally maturing, center on characters who are young adults, just because it's a reality of life is that people don’t always mentally/emotionally mature right when adulthood hits. If only it could be like the flip of a switch, but if it were, then the world probably wouldn’t have nearly as many coming-of-age stories. (Jeremy Urquhart)
An AI-generated post on BookClub also lists Jane Eyre as one of '9 Books That Capture The Pain Of Not Being Chosen'.
On YouTube Chriswaves2 discusses whether Wuthering Heights 2026 is actually good. Disclaimer: We have used DeepSeek to help find and translate information about the production. We have not been able to check the creative team with other independent sources.
A brand new Chinese-language original musical adaptation of Jane Eyre opens next Thursday in Shanghai:
Shanghai North Bund AIA Grand Theatre (上海北外滩友邦大剧院) 889 Dongdaming Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai August 13-16, 2026, 19:30 (evenings) August 15-16, 2026, 14:00 (matinees) Directed by Jin Shengquan and Tian Yifan Book and lyrics by Lu Yueying, with Jin Shengquan and Tian Yifan Composed and orchestrated by Qi Feng Presented by Jian Culture, Beijing Guoyun Art Exchange, Beijing Poly Theatre Management, and Baoyi Culture
Billed by its producers as "a woman's epic spanning 179 years" ( 跨越179年的女性史诗), this new staging carries Charlotte Brontë's novel into contemporary musical theatre language via Shanghai Culture Square's original-musical incubation programme, where an early version of the work was first unveiled at the closing ceremony of the 7th Shanghai International Musical Theatre Festival back in June 2025. It went on to further workshop performances, including an excerpts concert at December's "National Spirit" (民族魂) musical theatre gala in Guangzhou, before opening casting for the full production earlier this summer. A national tour is planned to run through 2028.
Three actresses share the role of Jane Eyre in rotation - Guo Yaorong, Yu Siran and Zhu Zhenghuai - opposite four actors alternating as Rochester: Jin Shengqua, Gao Yang, Qi Yu and Mao Er. The rest of the cast rotates similarly across performances.
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