Garden designer Brian Roberts has won an award for an amazing garden inspired by Wuthering Heights and the moorland landscapes of Brontë country. Brian, who runs Patterned Earth in Netherton, took a little piece of Yorkshire to the prestigious Belvoir Castle Flower & Garden Show in Leicestershire. His show garden called Weathering Heights won the Duchess of Rutland Cup after being named winner of the show’s Border Competition. The garden took its inspiration from the exposed landscapes of the Yorkshire uplands: dry-stone walls, moorland planting and the way plants and wildlife respond to sometimes unforgiving conditions. At its heart is a dry-stone wall that creates contrasting microclimates, with cooler, shaded and more sheltered conditions on one side and warmer, nectar-rich planting on the other. Gaps within the wall allow insects and other wildlife to move through the garden. Brian said: “I wanted to take a little piece of the landscape I know and love in Yorkshire to Belvoir. “The moors, dry-stone walls and plants that somehow thrive in quite unforgiving conditions have always fascinated me. “Weathering Heights was a playful nod to Wuthering Heights, of course, but the ‘weathering’ was important too. (Martin Shaw)
Voice of the Emirates includes Jane Eyre among novels that explore "the complexities of love and jealousy between siblings", which is rather odd. Although the relationship between siblings is not the sole focus of the novel, the work presents multiple models of family relationships. It highlights the impact of cruelty and deprivation on human character, contrasted with the need for love and belonging. (Medhat Elsheikh) The Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature exhibition is coming to Rugby in late September, and Warwickshire World has an article about it:
Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature explores three of the acclaimed Portuguese-British artist's most ambitious and profound series of prints, inspired by nursery rhymes, JM Barrie's Peter Pan and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. (...) From menacing creatures etched into life from children's nursery rhymes to near hallucinatory depictions of Neverland from Peter Pan and the power-based, tumultuous relationships Brontë described in Jane Eyre, Rego's prints tell stories which combine fantasy and imagination, innocence and cruelty, to explore the complexities of life in all its strangeness and mystery.
No visit to the Peaks would be complete without a stop at the village of Hathersage, home to a heated open-air pool. It’s an idyllic spot with a literary legacy; its rugged landscapes inspired Jane Eyre (there’s even a Jane Eyre walking trail), and you can visit the alleged grave of Little John, Robin Hood’s second-in-command, whose “little” moniker is actually an old-school dad joke in reference to his colossal height. (Jake Hall) Broadway World presents the cast of the upcoming production of Sarah Gordon's Underdog. The Other Other Brontë Sister in Carlsbad, CA, by the Carlsbad Playreaders. The New York Times includes a Jane Eyre 2011 question in a book quiz. The Behind the Glass podcast has a new episode: Sam and Mia chat to award-winning historian, broadcaster and author Dr Anthony Delaney! Anthony holds a PhD in 18th-century social and cultural history and co-hosts History Hit's podcast After Dark. His debut book Queer Georgians was published in September 2025. This episode takes us to Patrick's roots in Ireland; we discuss the country he left behind, the Brontës' relationship with their Irish heritage and the catastrophic events of The Great Famine in the late 1840s...
First reviews of Gordon & Caird's Jane Eyre. The Musical London production. Not bad, not exceptional. Good ones, without enthusiasm:
4 out of 5 stars
There are some aspects where the musical doesn't quite work as well from an adaptation standpoint, either straying from the source material or too conscious of its modern audience. Its core message of being "brave enough for love", expressed in the final musical number, feels a tiny bit more moralising than Brontë's novel, which is preoccupied with a woman's search for identity and personal freedom outside the bounds of social barriers. The musical also sidesteps some of the uncomfortable implications around Bertha Mason, who has regularly been assumed to be a woman of colour by many literary scholars, by casting a white actress (Hannah Lindsey) in the role - though ironically, her brother Richard Mason is played by a black actor (Jonathan Andrew Hume), muddying the waters slightly around what the production was trying to imply. Regardless, where the musical succeeds is in capturing the spirit of Brontë's novel through its aesthetics, musical style, and the cast's portrayal of its often complex characters. What emerges is something quite lovely: hauntingly beautiful in places, emotionally devastating in others. (Shehrazade Zafar-Arif)
3.5 out of 5 stars
The strong ensemble cast is slick and assured, shifting effortlessly between multiple roles. Charlie Burn makes a compelling Jane, balancing quiet determination with moments of defiance, with a voice that soars like a bird. Ashley Gilmour’s Rochester brings brooding charisma and emotional turmoil, with a richly sonorous voice. Isabelle Methven shines in the contrasting roles of saintly Helen and spirited Bessie, while Emily-Rose Samuel (sharing the role with Poppy Jason) impresses as Young Jane/Adele, combining a bright voice with remarkable maturity. After finally crossing the Atlantic, Caird and Gordon’s ‘Jane Eyre: A Musical’ captures Brontë’s spirit, even if it doesn’t quite match the novel’s force. Still, its ghostly atmosphere and strong performances make it well worth a visit. (Hannah Bothelton)
3 out of 5 stars
Gordon and Caird’s lyrics pay lip service to Jane’s longing for freedom, her evolving religious faith, and the ways in which her love for the enigmatic Mr Rochester challenges her. But too often these themes are explained to us didactically, or expressed in generic terms (Jane sings at one point of wishing to “go where I am not allowed”, a strangely childish plea). The eventual conclusion, involving Jane’s matured love for Rochester, is a trite romantic comedy ending rather than a spiritual reckoning. This is not helped by some odd pacing choices: the first act ends on a forgettable duet between Jane and Rochester, which offers no real plot advancement and causes an awkward break in momentum. Jane and Rochester’s wedding, interrupted by the revelation that he’s already married, only comes about two-thirds of the way through the show, leaving Jane’s emotional journey to stall at the start of the second act. What Gordon and Caird have succeeded, though, is in creating a capital-R Romantic, almost operatic emotional world for their characters. Their best writing is that which embraces the natural lyricism in Charlotte Brontë’s writing; famous images from the novel, including the string tying Jane and Rochester together, feel made for song. Elsewhere, if the lyrics fall short, the accompanying soundscape builds back the story’s emotional force, tapping into Jane’s sense of fear, isolation or passion at any given moment. (...) This production is not the intellectual powerhouse fans of the novel may come to expect, but it does not hold back when it comes to heightened, moving displays of emotion – obeying not the letter of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece, but certainly its spirit. (Clementine Scott)
The music, which is appealingly sung by the ensemble, soars and harmonises nicely, though the songs have a tendency to blend together and the lyrics can’t resist didacticism. It reaches a climax in Jane’s second-act solo “Painting Her Portrait”, which is a powerful song of ideas. Andrew Johnson provides a clean sound design and the seven-piece band, led by Ben Kubiak, is ideally balanced. As Jane and Edward Fairfax Rochester, Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour are an appealing pair who share a convincingly yearning chemistry. Unlike their characters, both are conventionally attractive (as is so often the case in adaptations). Burn's Jane feels closer to Belle in Beauty and the Beast than to Brontë's fey, fiery misfit, but she’s a heroine worth rooting for. (...) The first act anticlimactically culminates with Jane and Rochester admitting their feelings to themselves; the fortune teller scene, proposal, wedding, and its aftermath all come in the second half. Evangelical clergyman St John Rivers (Melad Hamidi) is dealt with swiftly and the convoluted “We are actually cousins” business is eliminated, as is the legacy from the long-lost uncle in Madeira. As with most adaptations of classic literature, it’s best enjoyed for what it is, rather than fixating on its shortcomings (even if that can be part of the fun). The book will always be there. Reader, I probably wouldn’t marry this show, but I'd go on a date with it. (Julia Rank)
Gordon’s songs lean heavily on soaring ballads and harmonies, many of which, to be frank, rather blend into each other. There are only so many iterations of Jane’s inner yearnings one needs in order to understand the central point that she’s a woman in love. However, a few of the numbers do make a deeper impression, notably “Painting Her Portrait” and the climactic “Brave Enough for Love”, both of which showcase Burn’s West End calibre vocals (she recently starred in Mean Girls). Although the character arc of Jane never gets its full expression – she feels more Maria in The Sound of Music than fully-fledged proto-feminist literary icon – none of the blame for that can be laid at the feet of Burn, whose intensity is matched by Gilmour’s. They make a superb central pair with chemistry to burn, so to speak (though they’re anything but the ‘plain’ types they claim to be), and are well supported by a multi-rolling ensemble including Isabelle Methven as Jane’s ill-fated childhood friend, Gemma Page as her vindictive aunt, Jonathan Andrew Hume as her sadistic headmaster and Hannah Lindsey as the infamous and ethereal attic-dwelling Bertha. Mention too should go to the accomplished performance of Emily-Rose Samuel (who rotates with Poppy Jason) as both the young Jane and her French-speaking ward. (...) However, although it doesn’t quite convince as an overlooked masterpiece, there is no doubt it has merits, together with some stonking central performances, and is one that musical aficionados won’t want to miss. (Theo Besanquet)
The cast are uniformly excellent throughout. Charlie Burn brings determination and intelligence to Jane, while Ashley Gilmour provides a suitably brooding Rochester. Equally impressive is young actor Emily-Rose Samuel, who, at this performance, effortlessly captured both Young Jane and Adèle with remarkable confidence and presence. This UK premiere tells Brontë’s story with clarity and conviction, supported by strong performances and striking design. Yet despite these accomplishments, it never quite captures the emotional sweep of the great romance at its centre, leaving a production that is engaging, but ultimately less heartfelt than it ought to be. (Greg Stewart)
You can follow the discussion on Theatre Board or Reddit too. Some more information about the LoveHit productions of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. The Wuthering Heights adaptation has around 50 short episodes. Each individual episode lasts between 1 and 3 minutes. This version is optimized specifically for mobile viewing on the LoveHit app (that is, a 9:16 vertical format). The first 13 episodes are already available, and we've seen them.
It's a bizarre experience: the unnatural vertical format, the tiresome pattern of a sort of climax every minute or so, coinciding with the end of each episode; and the impossible tone of Taylor Sheridan meets Barbara Cartland make this a fascinating, but not in a good way, experience. The producers promise a 90-minute horizontal version to be presented at the upcoming MIPCOM, October 12–15, in Cannes. We imagine that this format will make the film visually less ugly, but we don't have too many expectations. Directed by Alex Hunt Written by Oliver Draiv (among others, we guess) Produced by Phil Viardo, Jeremy Gilbreath (supervising) and Vlad Kumurzhi (associated). Photographed by Eugnee Filson
With: Jean Evans (Cathy Earnshaw), Dante Ayala (Eddie Linton), Ehan Vaughan (Heathcliff Earnshaw), Gabriel Quintella (Hindley Earnshaw), Maia Sky (Bella Linton), Lane Wray (Patrick Earnshaw), Sofia Shakarian (Young Cathy), Jameson Barros (Young Heathcliff), Jax Binkert (Young Hindley).
The Jane Eyre adaptation has not been released yet:
Jane Eyre
Directed by Jerry Bradford
Written by ???
Produced by Phil Viardo, Alex Hunt (executive), Jeremy Gilbreath (supervising) and Vlad Kumurzhi (associated).
Photographed by Benjamin Mahl
With Raina Silver (Jane Eyre), Tyler Harlow (as Edward Rochester), Eric Roberts (as Father Jameson), Alana Tilton (Bertha), Esmeree Sterling (Georgiana), Derek McDonnell (Richard Mason), Emily Lisa Jones (Blanche Ingram), Yva Leroy (Adele), We wonder who this Father Jameson may be.
And if you have any doubts about these adaptations, the Instagram LoveHit reels account has all the answers: The classics got hotter. Vertical dramas from stories you already love. Open the app. For the plot. The Telegraph and Argus reports that the Brontë Parsonage Museum is celebrating the 10th anniversary of To Walk Invisible. The Brontë Parsonage Museum has launched an exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of the BBC drama 'To Walk Invisible', which told the story of the Brontë sisters. Located at the Parsonage in Haworth the exhibition will run until December 31, 2026. It explores the making of the 2016 BBC drama, featuring costumes, props, set designs, and production notes. Mia Ferullo, digital engagement officer at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: "Over the past ten years To Walk Invisible has become a film cherished by many Brontë fans. "It offers an authentic, well-researched interpretation of the sisters and their lives. "We wanted to celebrate this anniversary by showcasing the creative team's process including a behind the scenes look at the screenplay, set design and costume design." The drama starred Finn Atkins as Charlotte Brontë, Charlie Murphy as Anne, Chloe Pirrie as Emily. Four original costumes designed by Tom Pye are on display in the museum’s period rooms, including a dress for each sister placed around the dining room table where they famously wrote their novels. An additional costume for Emily is exhibited in the kitchen. Ms Ferullo said: "In the dining room, we have Emily's lightning print dress, worn in the film by Chloe Pirrie. "There is a story that while shopping in Bradford, Emily had selected a material with a lightning print on it, sadly the original dress no longer exists. "The costume designer Tom Pye liked this anecdote and decided to recreate it for the film." She believes the costumes help visitors imagine the sisters as they once were. Ms Ferullo said: "I think displaying the costumes can help visitors visualise the family within the space, you can imagine the sisters walking around the dining room table discussing their writings. "The cast were all similar heights to the original Brontë family, so you also get an idea of the height difference between them." Other artefacts from the drama on display include bonnets, Branwell’s top hat, and his nightshirt. Visitors can also see a recreation of the "Gun Group Portrait" of the siblings, concept art by set designer Grant Montgomery, and a prototype model of the Parsonage set. Ms Ferullo talked about director Sally Wainwrights aim to present the Brontë family in a way they hadn't been portrayed previously. "She wanted to portray them as a real family, challenging some of the myths around them." She praised the production team’s dedication to authenticity, noting that Mr Montgomery measured every flagstone in the original Parsonage to ensure the replica set was as accurate as possible. It also sits alongside the museum’s ongoing exploration of Brontë screen adaptations. Props from Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming version of Wuthering Heights are already on display, and the museum has previously hosted exhibitions on cinematic interpretations of the Brontë family’s work from around the world. (Amelia Short)
Still in Yorkshire, Harrogate Informer features the work of designer jeweller Joanne Gowan. Based in her studio in Pateley Bridge, the local artisan has already spent several years developing a single, monumental piece. She intends for it to eventually earn that prized status of a family heirloom through what she describes as the slow process of thinking. Joanne Gowan: I had the idea to produce a Wuthering Heights piece about two years ago when I moved to North Yorkshire, celebrating the first connection I had with the area from reading the Brontë novels from the age of 10. This Emily Brontë piece sort of ate into my subconscious on so many levels: spiritual ideas, eternal love, passion, the wild of the landscape, and the contrast of good and evil, all wrapped into one. When Gowan joins a curated group of the UK’s top contemporary jewellers and silversmiths for the three-day Acquire selling show at Ampleforth Abbey, visitors will have a rare, exclusive opportunity to view her work-in-progress. The creative journey behind the piece spans from the rugged Yorkshire moors to the historic gemstone cutting centers of Germany. Joanne Gowan: Initially, I took some images from illustrations of Cathy in early book editions and contacted my gem dealer in York, R.M. Weare. They sourced a highly talented gemstone carver in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. The rock crystal carving then took over six months to develop, with lots of input back and forth during the cutting process. Meanwhile, I re-read the novel several more times to narrow down the exact elements I wanted to include. After that, a lot of the designing happens in my head. Over the months I get a clear mental vision, and then on the right day, I sit down and work it all out on paper. The final design is a complex vignette, or picture piece, engineered to be worn as a high-end brooch or pendant, or displayed standalone as a miniature work of art. It captures the haunting, pivotal moment when Cathy appears at the window—a scene that defines the emotional landscape of the entire novel. Framed within a window meticulously carved from soapstone, the structure mimics the box bed window of Ponden Hall near Haworth, widely believed to be Emily Brontë’s real-world inspiration for the scene. Joanne Gowan: Cathy, rendered in rock crystal, will appear to be coming through the leaded glass. The Ash tree leaves knock against the window, representing the moment when Nelly speaks to Heathcliff on the morning of Cathy’s death and he leans against the tree. In the foreground sill is a sprig of Yew with its toxic red berries, representing the bridge between mortal death, endurance, and the supernatural spirit. Alongside it sits a bunch of yellow crocuses—the earliest spring flowers brought to Cathy’s bedside by Edgar Linton, representing renewal and hope. This beautifully ties to the end of the novel, when the children of Cathy and Heathcliff reach an eventual mutual connection. The breath-taking final piece will be constructed from a rich palette of premium materials: rock crystal, soapstone, sterling silver, 18ct yellow and red gold, black rhodium plating, platinum, vivid rubies, and yellow sapphires. [...] The original design sketch and the German-carved rock crystal component will be publicly displayed for the first time at the Acquire event, where the finished masterpiece will be open for official commission. Event Details The design sketch and rock crystal carving will be on display at the annual Acquire exhibition, curated by Joanne Gowan. Venue: Alban House, Ampleforth Abbey estate, North York Moors, YO62 4EN Dates: Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September 2026 Opening Times: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily Admission: Free entry to the exhibition. The daily specialist guest talks curated by Susan Rumfitt are ticketed.
EXCLUSIVE: Literary classics such as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre are getting the microdrama treatment. This is through the latest entrant into the microdrama field, LoveHit, an L.A.-based studio and app focused on originals based on classic literary adaptations. LoveHit, which launches this month, has a vertical video slate built entirely from classic novels in the public domain. At launch, this will comprise Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby and Beauty and the Beast. More are in post-production, including Dangerous Liaisons, The Scarlett Letter and Les Misérables. Each has been written, shot and edited as both a vertical series and a horizontial features, with the latter being readied for TV and streaming buyers worldwide attending MIPCOM on October 12-15 in Cannes. Series will last roughly 50 episodes running between one and three minutes, with the films at 90 minutes. Actors appearing in the titles include microdrama regulars Meg Bush, Tyler Harlow and Sophie Swiszcz, along film, television and stage stars. These include Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts, who appears in Jane Eyre, which stars Raina Silver and Tyler Harlow. Ethan Vaughan and Jean Evans will star in Wuthering Heights, which is relocated to a present day American ranch. A vertical cut of the show launched on the LoveHit app on August 27 ahead of the full launch. [...] “There isn’t a market in the world where these titles need much of an introduction,” said Lenny Levi, CEO of LoveHit. “Every generation has adapted them, and every generation finds its own reason to connect with them. That’s what makes them evergreen.” (Jesse Whittock)
Another AI retelling of Jane Eyre:
by Rose Angel Publishing AI and Bernardine Mitchell Publisher : Rose Angel Publishing September 6, 2026
England, 1852. After losing her family during Ireland's darkest years, Maeve O'Connell crosses the sea determined to build a life of her own. With her fiery copper hair, sharp mind, and unwavering spirit, she has spent years fighting against the prejudice that follows her wherever she goes. When she accepts a position as governess at the remote Blackwood Hall, she hopes only for independence and a fresh start. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the estate's enigmatic master, Alexander Blackwood—a man haunted by secrets he cannot escape and a legacy he cannot forget. As their friendship deepens into an unexpected romance, Maeve begins to uncover disturbing truths hidden within the walls of Blackwood Hall. Whispers of a long-dead wife, missing letters, locked rooms, and buried family scandals lead her toward a mystery that stretches far beyond England's moors and into the painful history of her own homeland. With powerful enemies determined to keep the past buried, Maeve must decide whether love is strong enough to survive the weight of history—or whether some secrets are destined to destroy everything they touch. Filled with windswept landscapes, forbidden love, family intrigue, and Gothic mystery, Jane Eyre of the Emerald Isle is a sweeping historical romance inspired by the timeless spirit of Jane Eyre and the enduring resilience of Ireland. More Recent Articles
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