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United Players proudly presents … Jane Eyre One of the finest and most searching stage adaptations of a great novel I have ever seen … a thrilling piece of theatre in its own right. Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph An adaptation which gives“new psychological bite as well as humor to the ultimate Plain Jane gothic romance…. Elyse Sommer, curtainup.com Jane Eyre , one of the most beloved of all novels, is brought to the stage in this brilliant adaptation by Polly Teale. All the important plot elements are there, as are the characters that we know and love. But Teale reaches deep into the psychological underpinnings of the novel and brings on stage insights which throw a whole new light of the familiar love story. Jane Eyre is directed by Tom Kerr, with movement by Adam Henderson, and stars Roselle Healy as Jane, Tariq Leslie as Rochester, and Julia Henderson as Bertha, with Arpad Balogh, Joan Bryans, Michael Cope, Missy Cross, Andrew Gawley, James Gill, Kate Gordon, and Wendy Podgursky. Technical direction by Mimi Abrahams, lighting design by Bryce Munroe, costume design by Kate Carr, and stage management is by Laura Dodwell-Groves. Jane Eyre runs at the Jericho Arts Centre (1675 Discovery) from Jan 25 – February 17, Thursday through Sunday, at 8 pm. Tickets are $12 - $16 and available at the door. Preview: Jan 24th. all tickets $6. Talk back session: after the show on Jan 31st. For reservations and information, phone 604 224 8007, ext. 2 or visit www.unitedplayers.com.
SPOTLIGHT ON “JANE EYRE” adapted by Polly Teale THE STORY – “JANE EYRE” Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre is one of the most popular English novels of all time. A saga laced with oppression, suspense, horror, and passion, the story centres on one Victorian woman’s journey to free herself from the societal expectations of her day. More than that, it is the love story between Jane, the intelligent but plain-faced and pure young governess, and her older, more worldly employer, Mr. Rochester. Complicating the possibility of romance is Rochester’s mad wife Bertha who is living in the attic. In 1997 Polly Teale adapted Jane Eyre for the stage, offering new and dramatic look at this wonderful classic tale. THE ADAPTATION by POLLY TEALE Polly Teale’s stage adaptation of the well-read novel Jane Eyre is enthralling. The important plot elements are there, as are the characters that we know and love. Even Rochester’s horse and dog, Pilot, are brought to life once again. But there is a twist in the way this adaptation focuses on the psychological drama of Brontë’s narrative. Teale endeavours to portray a physical manifestation of Jane’s inner quest by giving Bertha another function as Jane’s alter ego. This allows Teale to explore the issues of repression and freedom which existed in the Victorian era and to give stunning emphasis to the inner conflict Jane experiences as a real woman torn between love and morality. Teale herself explains that “hidden inside the sensible, frozen Jane exists another self who is passionate and sensual. Bertha embodies the fire and longing which Jane must lock away in order to survive in Victorian England.” In her review of the Brooklyn staging for curtainup.com, Elyse Sommer describes how this “fascinating adaptation” gives “new psychological bite as well as humor to the ultimate Plain Jane gothic romance…. Teale's reach into the psychological underpinnings [reveals] the two faces of the author in the juxtaposition of Jane Eyre and Mrs. Rochester – one plain but firm of spirit, the other tempestuous and mad. The presentation of these two key characters throws a whole new light on the familiar love story.” Polly Teale’s fascination with the Brontë’s novels has led to two subsequent plays - After Mrs Rochester (2003) and Brontë (2005). She is also the Joint Artistic Director of the London theatre company, Shared Experience. DIRECTOR, TOM KERR – ON THE STAGING Well-known Vancouver director Tom Kerr saw a production of Polly Teale’s Jane Eyre in London three years ago and thought it was terrific. Last year Board Member Joan Bryans also saw it, and she brought the script back for Andrée Karas to include it in United Player’s current season. Tom remembered the impact of the production was delighted to be asked to direct. “Jane Eyre is a truly famous love story,” Tom enthuses. “It is the tale of an intelligent heroine living in a cruel and repressive society. We follow Jane’s journey to rid herself of the psychological damage done by her oppressive childhood and become a full woman. It takes several years and along the way she meets some interesting characters. At one point, struggling with her affections for Rochester, she runs away and she meets a minister who wants to marry her. It is only when she learns what love is not that she is finally able to set aside the dogma with which she was raised and admit her true love for Rochester.” “What is fascinating about Teale’s adaptation,” Tom continues, “is how she uses two actresses to show the very passionate and the very suppressed sides of the same character. Adopting an imaginative movement style popularized by the experimental ‘Theatre de Complicity,’ Teale has the production begin with the two actors fused as one – the first is straight-laced Jane and the other is her repressed self bursting to do what Victorian society did not permit. It is a highly courageous and innovative interpretation that should entertain and surprise everyone.” Teale’s version of Jane Eyre has evolved since it was first performed in the UK in 1997. It has now been staged around the world to enthusiastic reviews. “It will be such a treat for Vancouver audiences to get to see this wonderfully dramatic retelling of a great classic.” MOVEMENT DIRECTOR, ADAM HENDERSON - ON THE STYLING “Jane Eyre is an ambitious project for United Players,” notes Movement Director Adam Henderson. “It is Brontë's classic romance performed as a psychological study. It is full of love, shadows and confusion. It is classical literature presented in a modern European style, which minimizes the sets and extends the range of the actors. “Polly Teale wrote this adaptation as physical theatre which, if done well, can create illusions of cinematic proportion. The trick is to spark the audience’s imagination with emotionally expressive dynamic movement. No illusion is more convincing than the one we see in our own minds eye. “Tom is directing, staging and doing the heavy work on this show, I am polishing specific moments. We have no intention of replicating a previous production. Instead we search for our own way to express epic themes. We intend to highlight the emotional story with our movement style, making explicit what is socially suppressed. “I have had great pleasure doing movement for Tom before – on Private Lives at The Arts Club and The Birds and Iphegenia both of which Tom directed for United Players – but this is by far the most challenging.” BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW The United Players production of Jane Eyre runs from January 25th to February 17th, Thursdays through Sundays at 8:00 p.m. at the Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery. Tickets: $12 - $16; January 24th Preview: all tickets $6. Talkback night: Thursday, January 31st. Phone 604-224-8007 extension 2 or visit www.unitedplayers.com for reservations.
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