{"id":10195,"date":"2026-03-03T11:54:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/?p=10195"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:54:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:54:04","slug":"john-joubert-jane-eyre-at-the-arcola-theatre-youngish-perspective-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2026\/03\/03\/john-joubert-jane-eyre-at-the-arcola-theatre-youngish-perspective-review\/","title":{"rendered":"John Joubert &#8211; Jane Eyre at the Arcola Theatre. Young(ish) Perspective review"},"content":{"rendered":"<header id=\"masthead\" class=\"site-header\" role=\"banner\">\n<div class=\"wrap\">\n<div class=\"site-branding\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ayoungishperspective.co.uk\/2025\/08\/09\/review-jane-eyre-at-arcola-theatre\/\">Read the original here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"site-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ayoungishperspective.co.uk\/\" rel=\"home\">A Young(ish) Perspective<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"site-navigation\" class=\"main-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"menu-main-container\">\n<ul id=\"primary-menu\" class=\"menu nav-menu\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n<li id=\"menu-item-55\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-55\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ayoungishperspective.co.uk\/about-us\/\">About us<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-57\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-57\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ayoungishperspective.co.uk\/archives\/\">Archives<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"site-content\">\n<div class=\"wrap\">\n<div id=\"primary\" class=\"content-area\"><main id=\"main\" class=\"site-main\" role=\"main\"><\/p>\n<article id=\"post-25007\" class=\"post-25007 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-4-star category-contemporary category-uncategorized category-opera category-review category-star-rating tag-london tag-opera tag-review\">\n<div class=\"featured-image\">\n<figure class=\"wp-caption fsmcfi-fig featured\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JANE-EYE-Steffi-Fashokun-photo-Camilla-Greenwell.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-10196\" src=\"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JANE-EYE-Steffi-Fashokun-photo-Camilla-Greenwell.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JANE-EYE-Steffi-Fashokun-photo-Camilla-Greenwell.webp 2048w, https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JANE-EYE-Steffi-Fashokun-photo-Camilla-Greenwell-1280x853.webp 1280w, https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JANE-EYE-Steffi-Fashokun-photo-Camilla-Greenwell-980x653.webp 980w, https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JANE-EYE-Steffi-Fashokun-photo-Camilla-Greenwell-480x320.webp 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 2048px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">C Camilla Greenwell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<h2 class=\"entry-title\">REVIEW: Jane Eyre at Arcola Theatre<\/h2>\n<div class=\"entry-meta\"><span class=\"posted-on\">Published on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ayoungishperspective.co.uk\/2025\/08\/09\/review-jane-eyre-at-arcola-theatre\/\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-08-09T16:00:00+01:00\">August 9, 2025<\/time><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"byline\">by\u00a0<span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/ayoungishperspective.co.uk\/author\/lrjeffers\/\">leahj<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-rating-star\">\n<p><span aria-hidden=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/2b50.svg\" alt=\"&#x2b50;\" \/><\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/2b50.svg\" alt=\"&#x2b50;\" \/><\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/2b50.svg\" alt=\"&#x2b50;\" \/><\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"emoji\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/2b50.svg\" alt=\"&#x2b50;\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Rating: 4 out of 5.<\/span><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote><p>This contemporary operatic take on a classic story is visually rich and musically dramatic, brought to life by a talented group of young singers<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p>Contemporary operas can seem daunting or inaccessible to many theatre-goers, but familiar stories like Jane Eyre can offer an easier entry into newer music, and this dramatic and visually rich production is a great starting point. This new production from the Arcola Theatre and Green Opera is a compelling and energised retelling of Charlotte Bront\u00eb\u2019s dramatic Gothic tale of the fraught love story between young governess Jane Eyre and her brooding employer Edward Rochester. With a small, seven piece ensemble accompanying a cast of eight, this is an engagingly intimate production. Fans of earlier, more traditional operas may not connect immediately with John Joubert\u2019s 20th-century composing style, but the tension inherent in the harmonies does complement the drama of the plotline, and there are some truly lovely soaring moments, particularly in duets between Jane &amp; Mr. Rochester. While Kenneth Birkin\u2019s libretto skips over quite a bit of the novel\u2019s plot to focus on a few select scenes, the supertitles help ensure that the audience can catch the important details as they\u2019re mentioned by projecting the text of the opera above the actors.<\/p>\n<p>Soprano Laura Mekhail\u2019s performance as Jane Eyre was an absolute highlight of the opera \u2013 in addition to her clear and sophisticated vocal performance, she brought an intense and earnest focus to the role which breathed new life into an iconic character. Her bright, expressive eyes draw you into Jane\u2019s internal conflicts, and she delivers each line with intention. Baritone Hector Bloggs was compelling as Edward Rochester, and moved easily between the different facets of Rochester\u2019s character \u2013 at times the threatening captor to his first wife, Bertha, and at times the flirt who draws Jane into their romance. Bloggs is a much younger Rochester than usual, but this does allow him to bring an earnestness to the character which is often absent in portrayals where he\u2019s characterised as a more jaded middle-aged man. Bloggs\u2019s voice fills the theatre powerfully during more dramatic moments, but he has a deft grasp of dynamics, and took several opportunities to shift into a much softer, more tender tone to develop Mr. Rochester\u2019s more desolate and conflicted side.<\/p>\n<p>Another standout was Steffi Fashokun as Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester\u2019s first wife who he keeps locked in his attic. Bertha is present but unspeaking throughout the opera, so she communicates entirely through movement. With Steffi Fashokun\u2019s contemporary dance training and movement direction from Alex Gotch, Bertha holds the audience\u2019s focus throughout as a compelling, tortured presence. While the \u2018woman in the attic\u2019 is often written off by both Mr. Rochester and many readers as a crazy woman \u2013 a burden Mr. Rochester is forced to bear \u2013 Steffi moves through scenes as a sort of tortured sprite, asking audiences to question how much her occasional outbursts are caused by any malice, and how much they might be caused by the tragedy of her situation and captivity. At times she seems to be pulled and pushed by invisible hands, calling to mind historical descriptions of witchcraft or possession, and yet her most frantic moments happen as she watches her husband slowly falling for another woman.<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor Burke\u2019s direction and Emeline Beroud\u2019s set and costumes help create a rich visual world in which these tense interpersonal dynamics play out. The production design centres on the red threads of fate and destiny which at times trap and pull each character in different directions. Above the stage, in her attic, Bertha Mason works at a blood red tapestry, like a modern-day Penelope weaving in captivity. Hanging from the ceiling are several props representing key moments or themes from Jane\u2019s life, and characters interact with these at key points in the show. Within the minimal yet intimate space of the Arcola, these props help create a tangible landscape evoking the 19th century world of the novel. The immediacy of the small cast singing so closely to the audience also allowed the singers to play with a much greater dynamic range than some traditional operas in a larger space.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the small cast delivered powerful vocal performances, with many of them taking on two or three characters to fill out the various chapters of Jane\u2019s life. With promising young talent both onstage and behind the scenes, this production is an exciting glimpse of the next generation of opera.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\"><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0;float:none;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2026\/03\/03\/john-joubert-jane-eyre-at-the-arcola-theatre-youngish-perspective-review\/\" send=\"false\" layout=\"box_count\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"true\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read the original here A Young(ish) Perspective About us Archives C Camilla Greenwell REVIEW: Jane Eyre at Arcola Theatre Published on\u00a0August 9, 2025\u00a0by\u00a0leahj Rating: 4 out of 5. This contemporary operatic take on a classic story is visually rich and musically dramatic, brought to life by a talented group of young singers Contemporary operas can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsandreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10197,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195\/revisions\/10197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}