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Roaming Haworth Moor in quest of their alter ego
2008-05-17 17:00:00
First, some reviews of books with Brontë references more or less relevant: Stevie Davies (author of Emily Brontë: Heretic or Four Dreamers and Emily) reviews Anne Donovan's Being Emily for The Guardian:Like the world of Wuthering Heights, Being Emily is built on the grave of a mother: "with her gone, things had got intae a guddle". In Emily Brontë's novel, the guddle takes the form of a romantic maelstrom of volcanic proportions in which God and man are called into question by the needy protagonists, Catherine and Heathcliff; who, seeking one another, fly asunder.What sane person would actually want to be Emily Brontë? Even Emily Brontë did not always seem to savour it. But generations of Brontë readers have entertained the same fantasy, roaming Haworth Moor in quest of their alter ego, to encounter foul weather and return with a head cold. Sociopathic, riven, angrily shy, Emily acknowledged as her sole law the desire to go "where my own nature would be leading". Homeward.In...
More About: Alter Ego , Roaming , Quest , Alter

A Gifted Brother
2008-05-17 00:05:00
An alert from the Australian Brontë Association for today, May 17:Sat 17th MAY Sarah Burns – BRANWELL BRONTË – A GIFTED BROTHER2008 marks the 160th anniversary of the death of Patrick Branwell Brontë, the only son and fourth of Patrick and Maria Brontë’s six children. Branwell was a promising writer and artist with a rich imagination. Although he was the first of the Brontë siblings to appear in print, he would never gain money or success and was destined to live in the shadow of his three sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne. After attempts at careers as a painter, railway clerk and tutor, Branwell ended his days depressed, ill and addicted to alcohol and opium. His death on 24 September 1848 at the age of 31, from chronic bronchitis and marasmus (wasting of the body), greatly affected his family. In a letter to WS Williams of Smith & Elder on 6 October 1948, Charlotte said: “I … asked myself what had made him go ever wrong, tend ever downwards, when he had so m...
More About: Brother

Wuthering Heights: the 'over the top luverly' mansion
2008-05-16 20:36:00
The news about Sienna Miller replacing Natalie Portman as Cathy have only left room in the press for weird stuff today. Such as this article from The Tribune on 'snoose' where the following is said:One of the brighter (relative term) guys figured out that if he went into the library and pretended to be reading a book, the teacher who was in charge of the library was so pleased that we were actually reading, she would leave you alone. That was when you could get your hit of snoose. The problem of where to spit was easily solved. ... The solution was to simply take a book off the shelf, open it, spit into the book, and then put it back on the shelf where it would likely rest undisturbed for at least the next three months. During this time, everything would dry out and the only evidence would be an ugly brown stain that would be heaviest on pages 104 and 105 but would fade out by pages 100 and 109. ...There developed a protocol for this procedure. Some books were sacrosanct. Noth...
More About: Mansion

Sienna Miller, the new Cathy?
2008-05-16 06:13:00
According to the Daily Mail:Sienna Miller is in early talks to play Cathy , the heroine of Wuthering Heights, while Michael Fassbender the fast-rising London-based actor has now signed (as this column was first to predict) to play the brooding figure of Heathcliff.Sienna entered negotiations following the dramatic withdrawal from the production of actress Natalie Portman.Ms Portman, by the way, may have a hard time avoiding those involved in Wuthering Heights at the Cannes Film Festival, since she happens to be on the main jury.This column broke the news that Portman entranced director John Maybury after actively pursuing the role of Cathy Earnshaw.Maybury and producers from Ecosse and Hanway Films were so taken by Portman's enthusiasm that they handed her the role - plus casting approval over who would play Heathcliff, and she accepted.Then, with little warning, she quit.Maybury had already screen-tested Fassbender and was knocked out by the power of his acting. The actor's portra...

Private Sphere to World Stage
2008-05-16 00:05:00
A newly published scholar book with Brontë content: Private Sphere to World Stage from Austen to Eliot by Elizabeth Sabiston, York University, Canada * Imprint: Ashgate * Illustrations: Includes 1 b&w illustration and 1 line drawing * Published: May 2008 * Format: 234 x 156 mm * Extent: 224 pages * Binding: Hardback * ISBN: 978-0-7546-6174-0 * Price : £50.00 » Online: £45.00 Emily Dickinson's poem, 'This is my letter to the World/ That never wrote to Me --', opens the Introduction, which focuses on the near-anonymity of nineteenth-century women novelists. Close readings of works by five British novelists—Jane Austen, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Elizabeth Gaskell, and George Eliot—offer persuasive accounts of the ways in which women used stealth tactics to outmaneuver their detractors. Chapters examine the 'hidden manifesto' in Austen's works, whose imaginative heroines defend women's writing; the lasting impact of Jane Eyre, with its modest heroine who takes...

Michael Fassbender confirmed as Heathcliff
2008-05-15 22:15:00
The Hollywood Reporter confirms what was already vox populi. Ecosse's Wuthering Films film project has secured Michael Fassbender as Heathcliff : CANNES -- At least one half of the casting crisis facing John Maybury's "Wuthering Heights" has been solved in the wake of Natalie Portman's sudden decision to pull out of the headline role of Cathy.Ecosse Films, the production house run by Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae, which is producing the picture, said they have secured Michael Fassbender for the role of Heathcliff.Fassbender stars in Steve McQueen's "Hunger," which heralded the beginning of Cannes sidebar Un Certain Regard on Thursday.Bernstein described the Heathcliff role as "one of the most powerful and iconic romantic roles" in cinema.Finance and sales company HanWay is repping the title for sales here.Portman's exit left the financiers, sellers and producers rattled just days ahead of the fest.HanWay Films is hoping to have a replacement for Portman "within days" in ...

“How did a generation of women grow up wanting to marry Edward Rochester?
2008-05-15 13:04:00
A.J. Kiesling writes for Crosswalk.com: I once read a magazine article with the opener: “How did a generation of women grow up wanting to marry Edward Rochester?� The protagonist of Charlotte Bronte’s classic Jane Eyre is dark, brooding, intelligent, quick-witted yet cynical. Still, for all his negative qualities (Jane herself describes him as “not handsome�) Rochester manages to captivate not only Jane but thousands of female readers who have read the novel during the nearly two centuries since Bronte penned it. The same could be said for Jane Austen’s elusive Mr. Darcy. Brooding, arrogant, disagreeable… Yet one key attribute sets both men apart—and, I suspect, keeps the women who read about them yearning to encounter just such a man in real life: Deep inside, both Darcy and Rochester are deeply passionate souls, and in the course of their respective stories, they step up to the plate and let their romantic feelings for the girl be known. They arrive at a point in t...
More About: Women , Marry , Generation , Grow

London Children's Ballet's Jane Eyre
2008-05-15 00:21:00
As we have been publishing these last few weeks, the London Children's Ballet premieres today, May 15, a new production based on Jane Eyre (originally premiered by the London Children's Ballet in 1994, with an original score by composer Julia Gomelskaya and choreography by Polyanna Buckingham.). The new choreography is by Nicole Tongue.London Children's BalletJane Eyre15-18 May 2008Peacock TheatrePortugal Street, HolbornWC2Premiere Performance: Thu 15 at 7pmPublic Performances: Fri 16 at 7.30pm, Sat 17 at 2pm & 5.30pm, Sun 18 1pm & 4.30pmfrom £14 (book via Sadler’s Wells Ticket Office)The London Children’s Ballet has adapted Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre to thrill boys and girls of all ages.The ballet opens with the forgotten chapter of the young Jane living with her cruel Aunt who banishes her to a bleak life at Lowood Charity School where she stays until her appointment as governess at Thornfield Hall. There Jane finds a world of parties, Mr Rochester an...

"The Brontës' works weren't the cosy classics many see them as today"
2008-05-14 14:08:00
The Yorkshire Post summarises the recent news about the two new film/TV adaptations of Wuthering Heights and asks Alan Bentley, director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, for his opinion:But it's fair to say that popular books don't usually transfer well to the screen, which is why some Brontë enthusiasts are a little concerned with two newscreen versions of Wuthering Heights about to go into production.Their fears won't have been allayed by reports that the rival adaptations, which both begin filming later this year, are going for radically different takes on Emily Brontë's classic tale of obsession and revenge.A three-part television version for ITV described by insiders as "edgy, cool and raw" will see a distraught Heathcliff take his own life on hearing news of Cathy's death. Meanwhile the British film version is expected to stick closer to the idea of the two being childhood sweethearts, with Keira Knightley and Lindsay Lohan both reportedly vying for the role of Cathy. (...
More About: Classics , Today , Works

A new opera by Frédéric Chaslin
2008-05-14 00:12:00
A new opera based on Wuthering Heights has been composed, or is being composed, we don't exactly know. The French conductor, pianist and composer Frédéric Chaslin is the author of the music and P.H. Fisher has written the libretto.The world premiere of the prelude took place in Oslo, Norway last April 26th during the opening of the brand new Oslo Opera House (as reported in KulturSpeilet). Fortunately the composer has a YouTube channel where you can listen to the (quite inspired) piece. We are really looking forward to hearing more.Categories: Music, Opera, Wuthering Heights

A strong flavour of Jane Eyre
2008-05-13 16:33:00
The Orange County Register reviews the performances at the Brethren Christian Junior & Senior High School of Jane Eyre: A Musical Drama by Gordon & Caird:A bedroom set aflame and haunting laughter is heard throughout the halls. Who is responsible? What secrets hide behind the walls? In the midst of it all, two people fall in love. But how will they live happily ever after?Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece arrives on stage at Brethren Christian High School's production of "Jane Eyre: A Musical Drama." Nominated for a Tony for Best Musical in 2001, John Caird's and Paul Gordan's musical closely resembles the novel, following the title character as she finds her true love only to discover Thornfield's best kept secret.The strong cast of both junior and high school students was anchored by the talents of Nicole Braun (Jane Eyre) and Ryan Strong (Edward Rochester). In "Sirens," their beautiful voices wove together to produce a heart-wrenching duet of their seemingly unrequited...

Coky Giedroyc, director of the new Wuthering Heights series
2008-05-13 00:05:00
Coky Giedroyc, director of the most recent BBC version of Oliver Twist and the BAFTA Awards nominated miniseries The Virgin Queen, is the chosen director for the 3-part Wuthering Heights production. We read on the The Dench Arnold Agency website the following:Marella Shearer (Makeup and Hair) is presently working on 'Wuthering Heights' directed by Coky Giedroyc and produced by Radford Neville for Mammoth Screen.Some interesting coincidences (or not). Coky Giedroyc also directed some episodes of Blackpool, that was written by Peter Bowker who is now the author of the new WH script. And in Oliver Twist (2008) she directed Tom Hardy and Sarah Lancashire.Categories: Movies-DVD-TV, Wuthering Heights
More About: Series , Director

Victorian Night in Brooklyn
2008-05-13 00:02:00
An alert from Brooklyn , New York for today (May 13). A reading hosted by The Pacific Standard Fiction Series, will feature author Douglas A. Martin (Branwell. A novel of the Brontë Brother):Pacific Standard Fiction Series: Victorian Night featuring Arthur Phillips and Douglas A. MartinTuesday, May 13th, 7:00 p.m.82 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (betw. St. Marks and Bergen)hosted by Garth Risk HallbergBooks available on-site!Drink specials to be chosen by dartboard!The Spring Season Finale for New York Magazine's "Best New Literary Event!"Douglas A. Martin's second novel, BRANWELL, was hailed as "a cohesive and convincing portrait of the lost, forgotten Brontë" by The Austin Chronicle. "Stylistically complex and emotionally evocative," Darcy Steinke wrote. "Branwell Brontë emerges as ...both muse and devil to his sisters' passions, giving us a new dimension to this ever fascinating family."Categories: Alert, Branwell Brontë, Fiction, Talks

Heathcliff-esque moodiness
2008-05-12 14:14:00
The Independent reviews the London Children's Ballet production of Jane Eyre, whic will open on Thursday, May 15.The London Children's Ballet is set to bring Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece, Jane Eyre, to London's West End. This adaptation, performed by 54 rising stars between the ages of nine and 15, follows the young orphan Jane's bittersweet journey from her bleak time at the charity school, Lowood, through to her tender relationship with Mr Rochester.The new choreography, by Nicole Tongue, is set to a score composed by Julia Gomelskaya for the company's original production in 1997. It looks to be the latest success from the company, renowned for past performances such as The Scarlet Pimpernel.A ballerina trained at London's Royal Ballet School, Tongue was commissioned to re-choreograph the work to suit a contemporary audience. "Jane Eyre is the story of one person's journey of self-discovery: as a young girl she learns to temper her anger and sense of injustice; as a wom...
More About: Heathcliff

Jane Eyre in Ilkley and more
2008-05-12 00:20:00
Some days ago, the Ilkley Playhouse performed Polly Teale's Jane Eyre in Cumbria. Now, the company will be in their own city (Ilkley, West Yorkshire) for a brief season. As published in the Wharfedale & Airedale Observer:The next production at Ilkley Playhouse is Jane Eyre' adapted by Polly Teale from the novel by Charlotte Bronte. It will be showing in the Wildman Studio from May 12-17 at 7.30pm each evening.This interesting interpretation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel will appeal both to those who are familiar with the story, as well as those who are coming to it for the first time.Shared Experience Theatre Company staged this production originally in 1997 when it received wide critical and audience acclaim.Writer Polly Teale has focussed on the two distinct sides to Jane Eyre's character: she is a calm, polite young Victorian woman who acts at all times in the manner expected of her, while underlying all this is a person who is passionate, sensual and, at times, ang...

Teenage Mums and Jane Eyre
2008-05-11 13:49:00
There's more Brontë in the news than just movie adaptations:1. The Scotsman unveils an unexpected Jane Eyre reference in a documentary about teenage mothers, which will air tomorrow, May 12, in BBC2: Teen Mum High.Meanwhile, Kayleigh's teacher, herself the adopted child of a teenage mother, displays both empathy for her young charges and a heroic commitment to change. Teaching a class on Jane Eyre, she's keen to emphasise its most pertinent lesson: the misfortunes of youth need not be a barrier to adult fulfilment. (Mik Duffy)2. The Sri Lanka Sunday Times remembers the figure of P.K.D. Seneviratne (1917-1970):P.K.D. Seneviratne was a distinguished poet and renowned script writer of the Sinhala cinema. A man with a vast knowledge of rural life, he wrote many scripts for radio dramas set against the village background. A schoolteacher by profession, he had a deep sympathy for the struggling village students.(...)With the assistance of Ranjani Abeywardane, he translat...
More About: Teenage

ITV's Wuthering Heights Cast
2008-05-11 12:33:00
The Telegraph publishes new details of the ITV's Wuthering Heights three-part TV project and the parallel Ecosse Films WH film project. Some aspects become clarified.The Mammoth Screen production for ITV casts Tom Hardy (in the picture) as Heatchliff, Katie Riley as Cathy, Andrew Lincoln as Edward Linton (who was previously reported to be the Linton of the other version!) and Sarah Lancashire (maybe as Nelly Dean? In the picture. Credits: Neil Marland). And Michael Fassbender seems to be the chosen Heathcliff for the film project.Now, two of the hottest stars around will cast their spell as Heathcliff in rival versions of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.Tom Hardy, 30, who won huge acclaim in Stuart: A Life Backwards, is being tipped to star in a three-part television version for ITV.Michael Fassbender, 31, the star of Hex and 300, is being lined up by the producers of a British film version.The competing adaptations, which will begin shooting later this year, will offer radicall...
More About: Cast

"So what if the Canadian actress Ellen Page has been cast as Jane Eyre?"
2008-05-11 12:32:00
We published some days ago a post trying to cover some of the reactions caused by the casting of Ellen Page as Jane Eyre in a BBC Films/Ruby Films film project. Today, The Independent devotes an entire article to the question that acts almost as a summary of the arisen controversy. Nina Gold, acclaimed casting director, has a clear view on the subject: All the fuss about Ellen Page being cast as Jane Eyre for a BBC film is misplaced. I think she's got the part because she's a really good actress and the producers must think she's the best person for the part. Not to cast on the basis of her being the wrong nationality would be mad. Page has shown her range not only in Juno, but also in her breakout role in Hard Candy, where she played a young girl with an internet stalker who is not as innocent as she seems.I think we, the British, feel very proprietorial about Jane Eyre, and the fact that people associate Page with a very young culture is another hurdle for them to get ov...
More About: Canadian , Cast , Actress

Jane Eyre: Fantasy Overture by Tracey Rush
2008-05-11 00:22:00
Another Jane Eyre world premiere. A few days ago it was a new musical opening in Redlands, California. Today we announce the world premiere of Jane Eyre: Fantasy Overture by Tracey Rush . The premiere will take place today, May 11, in Des Moines, Iowa:Des Moines Community OrchestraSpring ConcertOur Spring Concert concludes or concert season. Music Director and Conductor, Carl Johnson, will lead the orchestra as we perform music that will stir your spirit!May 11, 2008Concert begins at 2:00 p.m. in Sheslow AuditoriumPre-concert talk begins at 1:00 p.m. Sheslow.Program: "Women's Night Out" (...)Jane Eyre: Fantasy Overture [world premiere, commissioned work] (Tracey Rush)Chilldhood at Gateshead (loneliness)The Red-Room (fear)Lowood: Death of Helen (redemption)Flight form Thornfield (despair)Reunion (love)This is how the composer describes her piece in the program notes:Ever since high school, when I first read Charlotte Brontë's great novel, "Jane Eyre," I dreamed of turning it into...

Red House alerts
2008-05-11 00:12:00
An alert for today, May 11, at the Red House Museum in Gomersal. A new chance to see The History Wardrobe's performance of Jane Eyre: The Well Dressed Governess.Sunday 11th May 2008, 2:00PMThe Well-Dressed Governess. A period costume presentation. May is Museums Month and this year its theme is 'Innovation and Ideas'. As part of the celebrations, Red House Museum in Gomersal is hosting a period costume talk entitled 'Jane Eyre - The Well-Dressed Governess', one of a number of events marking 'Women of Ideas'.Genteel and demure fashions of the 1840s could clothe a woman of high intelligence and passionate intensity. Charlotte Bronte was one such woman; her heroine Jane Eyre was another. At this one-woman presentation, Gillian Stapleton of 'The History Wardrobe' company will use exquisite original and replica costumes as she follows Jane Eyre's life from charity schoolgirl to governess to fairytale bride.Admission Details:Cost: £4. Booking essential.But that's not all: H...

An offer, a review and a hairdo
2008-05-10 12:48:00
What's on Stage gives you the chance to obtain 50% off tickets for the London Children's Ballet production of Jane Eyre at the Peacock Theatre in London:The Offer :The London Children's Ballet present Jane Eyre at the Peacock Theatre. Get 50% off all tickets for Friday 16 May.The London Children’s Ballet has adapted Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre to thrill boys and girls of all ages.The ballet opens with the forgotten chapter of the young Jane living with her cruel Aunt who banishes her to a bleak life at Lowood Charity School where she stays until her appointment as governess at Thornfield Hall. There Jane finds a world of parties, Mr Rochester and a web of mystery leading to the fateful night of the great fire…"The LCB's production is nothing short of awesome ... a firework display of talent." Emma Thompson.Click here to know how to get your tickets.Los Angeles Times reviews Laura Joh Rowland's The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë:At least "The Secret Advent...
More About: Review , Hairdo

Lookalikes
2008-05-10 12:11:00
The Spenborough Guardian publishes one of those bizarre news that we, at BrontëBlog, are so fond of. No less than the finding of a lookalike of Joshua Taylor (brother of Mary Taylor, longlife friend of Charlotte Brontë): the English comedian and TV host, Paul O'Grady:Left: Paul O'Grady. (Picture courtesy of ITV).Right: The mannequin of Joshua Taylor at Red House.Pictures Sources.RED House Museum found fame on Channel 4's Paul O'Grady Show, when a viewer pointed out the chat show host is a dead ringer for one of its historical mannequins.It seems the 53-year-old scouser bears an uncanny resemblance to Joshua Taylor, a well respected woollen cloth merchant who featured in Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley.A mannequin of Taylor sits at the museum in Oxford Road, Gomersal, and a visitor, and viewer of the programme sent a picture and a letter which Paul – who shot to fame as the character Lily Savage – read on air.Museum officer Helga Hughes said: "The letter said something al...

A new Jane Eyre Musical opens in California
2008-05-10 00:13:00
A new musical adaptation of Jane Eyre opens today in Redlands, California . It is written by Jana Smith (who is also the author of the musical score with Brad Roseborough) and Wayne R. Scott.Jane EyreLifeHouse TheatreMay 10 - June 8, 2008Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2:15 p.m. Sundays, with one Thursday evening performance at 7:30 on June 5. The June 7 performances feature interpretation for the hearing impaired.Jane Eyre is directed by Debby Race with the musical score for the production by Jana Smith and Brad Roseborough. Dustin Ceithamer serves as choreographer. Set design is by Tim Mahoney. Written by Jana Smith along with LifeHouse founder and president Wayne R. Scott, this family musical explores the intriguing world of Bronte’s most famous novel. Astounding secrets unravel in this tale of a lonely orphan who must overcome strange and sinister circumstances. At once passionate, romantic and mysterious, Jane Eyre’s journey from op...
More About: Musical

Justine Picardie at the Daphne du Maurier Festival
2008-05-10 00:04:00
Justine Picardie, author of Daphne will give today, May 10, a talk at the 2008 Daphne du Maurier Festival (May 8th-17th May):Justine Picardie - DaphneDate: Saturday 10th May 2008Time: 11:45 - 13:00(Doors open: 11:15)Venue: Festival Marquee, Fowey, PL23 1ETStandard Price: £7.50DescriptionJustine Picardie, the author of ‘Daphne’, a novel about Daphne du Maurier, will be talking to Rupert Tower, Daphne’s grandson, and Henrietta Llewelyn Davies, the great grand-daughter of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Daphne’s aunt, who was played by Kate Winslet in ‘Finding Neverland’). They will be discussing the extraordinary legacies - both literary and emotional - of the du Maurier family.You can read Justine's pre-conference thoughts on her own blog.This is not the only Du Maurier's Festival activity in which the author of My Mother's Wedding Dress will take part:Book Group Session - Reading My Cousin Rachel - With Justine PicardieDate: Saturday 10th May 2008Time: 15:30 - 16:30(Doors op...
More About: Justine , Daphne Du Maurier

Bye, bye, Natalie
2008-05-09 13:42:00
Frantic days for the Brontë film adaptations. Some weeks ago we reported the attachment of Natalie Portman to a new Wuthering Heights film project and a few days ago it was Ellen Page who was presented as the new Jane Eyre in another BBC Films project. And now it seems that finally Natalie Portman won't be Cathy after all. Michael Fassbender has been approached to play Heathcliff. The Daily Mail reports: Hollywood star Natalie Portman has walked out of a big-screen version of Wuthering Heights, throwing the production into chaos.Her decision to withdraw from the British film has infuriated its backers because, far from being wooed for the role, she actively pursued the plum part of Emily Bronte's tragic heroine Cathy Earnshaw. The movie's director John Maybury and producers Ecosse Films and HanWay were blinded by Portman's dazzling "come-on". Neither film company would comment yesterday. Portman pursued the part vigorously and was so passionate about it that she asked for and...

Bob Dylan meets Emily Brontë
2008-05-09 13:26:00
The Sussex Express is delighted that a local dancer will be in the cast of the upcoming (May 18) London Children's Ballet production of Jane Eyre:Anu Ogunmefun, 14, from Park Croft in Polegate, beat 500 children in October to join the London Children's Ballet for a Jane Eyre production at The Peacock Theatre.The Willingdon Community School pupil has been doing ballet pirouettes since she was seven.Anu said: 'It is really good and I am very happy about it.'I had an audition, then further recalls, and then another audition to see if I had got in.'I love the state of moving in ballet, it is so different to other dancing.'Nothing else matters when you start ballet dancing, it is such a good feeling.'Foster parents Patricia and Victor Brooker said they were proud of Anu.Mrs Brooker said: 'We are very pleased she got in after all the hard work.'Anu trains four days a week after school at Sussex School of Dancing in Eastbourne.She plans to become a full time professional dancer wh...
More About: Emily , Bob Dylan , Dylan

Australian Brontë theatre
2008-05-09 00:04:00
Two Australian productions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights open today, May 9.In New Farm, Brisbane:Jane Eyre adapted by Polly TealeHarvest Rain Theatre GroupSEASON - 9 - 31 May 2008SHOW TIMES - Wed - Sat @ 7.30pm / Sat @ 2pmPREVIEWS - 7 & 8 May @ 7.30pmMATINEES - Sat 10, 17, 24 & 31 May @ 2pmVENUE - Sydney Street Theatre, New FarmA lonely orphan girl finds love and passion in the face of hardship, but in the attic lies a dark secret....From the director of last year's sell-out season of LITTLE WOMEN comes yet another stunning theatrical presentation of a classic and beloved novel – JANE EYRE.Hidden between the musty pages of Charlotte Bronte's famous novel lurks a ripping yarn just waiting to be told on stage, with Polly Teale's adaptation bringing the gothic novel to raging life. This timeless coming-of-age story of one of literature's most independent and strong-willed women was recognized as a masterpiece when it was published in 1847 and remains a startlingly ...

John M. Burns in the Bristol Comic Expo
2008-05-09 00:02:00
As we have published in the past, Classical Comic s will release a Jane Eyre comic adaptation next September. Amy Corzine is the author of the script and John M. Burns has made the artwork. If you are interested, read the following alert:Bristol International Comic Expo 9th-11th May 2008SATURDAY - 10.00am - 6.00pm..SUNDAY - 10.30am - 5.00pmClassical Comics will have Jon Haward at the Bristol Expo to sign copies of the wonderful Macbeth, as will Nigel Dobbyn. Kat and Jason will be up for signing Henry V - and the brand new, just off the press ELT version of Henry V will be on their stand. This is the 'fourth' version of the book, designed to teach English to students across the globe. The book has 2 audio CDs in the back too. It's produced by Cengage Learning. Declan will be at the Bristol Expo to talk about Frankenstein, John M Burns has his own table, so if anyone wants to know more about the very beautiful Jane Eyre, he will be delighted to have a chat. Finally, Mike Collins has ...

Positively sphinx-like
2008-05-08 17:29:00
A letter to the Huntington Town Crier describes the recent performances of Gordon & Caird's Jane Eyre musical in St. Ives:We've just returned from watching SIMADS' latest production Jane Eyre.Although I am not great fan of Charlotte Bronte's works, my wife is a devotee.I was surprised then to be converted by this musical drama (perhaps more of an opera with 42 musical pieces).It was put together in a magical way which told the initially sad story with its happy ending. To start with the setting was grey and the music subdued. This created an aura of the times – sprawling urban slums with poverty and disease stalking the people.Gradually the pace increased with the music having echoes of Les Miserables and the settings a cross between Oliver and Gosford Park.All was superbly put together and the players rose to the occasion with enthusiasm and talent.The two leads – Jane and Rochester – were strong and convincing in both acting and singing and they were very well suppor...

"We won't turn Jane Eyre into some New Jersey teenager"
2008-05-08 16:50:00
Some press and blogosphere reactions to the casting of Ellen Page as Jane Eyre in a BBC Films / Ruby Films film project: The Sun: Ruby Films, the team behind The Other Boleyn Girl, is hooking up with BBC Films to develop the film of the legendary romance between governess Jane and her brooding employer Mr Rochester.Christine Langan for BBC Films said: "She'll put a whole different complexion on Jane Eyre."It will air in cinemas then hit the telly. (Sarah Nathan) The Independent:The BBC's film division yesterday pant-wettingly revealed that Ellen Page will take the title role in a new adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, about the plain-faced English governess.It's a coup: Page, 21, was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her unexpectedly pregnant teenager in Juno. Born in Nova Scotia, Canada, however, she is not the obvious candidate to play an English orphan brought up in Gateshead. This year's big-screen turkey The Other Boleyn Girl, remember, was criticised fo...
More About: New Jersey , Jersey , Teenager , Turn