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This classic and beloved tale, written by Charlotte Bronte and published in 1847 has had many adaptations both on stage and screen, but I admit I was somewhat sceptical that it could work as a musical. However, with five Tony nominations under its belt, including best musical and best original score I was intrigued to see this production.
The production, running at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 24 October 2026, is dark and gothic with a sparse set and scenery changes delivered very cleverly via lighting, projections and cast physicality. The intimate space at the Playhouse lends itself perfectly to the oppressive atmosphere, and the cast costumes all in black and white add to the depth and overall storytelling. The eeriness, gloominess and suspense filled nature of the original story translate well even with the sparse staging.
There are some moments of humour sprinkled through to lift the darkness briefly, which the cast handle admirably so they don’t feel forced in an attempt to lighten the tone.
Onto the cast – one word, WOW. This cast work so beautifully together, the voices blending and harmonising giving life to a lush score. The leads, Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour, embody the roles of Jane and Rochester, but the rest of the cast are also fabulous, seamlessly changing roles throughout the production as Jane ages.
Special notice must be given to Young Jane / Adele who was just such a delight, bringing young Jane’s concrete belief in herself and her faith to life and then transitioning to the flighty, mischievous Adele, with a gorgeous voice and a light touch. Charlie Burn brings the “otherworldliness” of Jane to the forefront, and it is easy to see how she and Rochester fall for each other. There are some beautiful songs in the show, and every single one is done justice by this cast.
While there are many, many positives about this show, I must mention a couple of minor things which I found slightly jarring. Firstly, and by necessity I suspect or it would be a very long production, the story felt a little rushed. It compresses the novel into a 2hr30 slot (including an interval) so some elements of the story felt a little rushed through. Secondly, Jane refers to herself as plain, and Rochester should be not particularly handsome. The fact the two leads are both clearly very attractive does take you out of the story a little as it’s so surprising when they sing about their plainness! Finally, the novel is narrated by Jane, which is replicated in the production, but all of the cast take the role of narrator, which did confuse me somewhat at the start.
I raised myself the question, would it work in a bigger venue? I do not know. The Playhouse is compact, dark and creates a great atmosphere. I don’t know if it would draw you in as much in a larger venue. Saying that, if it was this cast, I’d probably watch it anywhere! It deserves a full house every night, and I hope it gets one – it deserves to be seen.
️️️️⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewed by Sam Silby for The Theatre Flyer
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