{"id":10202,"date":"2026-03-03T12:04:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T11:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/?p=10202"},"modified":"2026-03-03T12:04:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T11:04:54","slug":"john-joubert-jane-eyre-arcola-theatre-review-from-fairy-powered-productions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2026\/03\/03\/john-joubert-jane-eyre-arcola-theatre-review-from-fairy-powered-productions\/","title":{"rendered":"John Joubert – Jane Eyre @Arcola Theatre. Review from Fairy Powered Productions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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FairyPoweredProductions<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

JANE EYRE REVIEW<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
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ARCOLA THEATRE \u2013 UNTIL 9th AUGUST 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

REVIEWED BY JACKIE THORNTON<\/strong><\/p>\n

4****<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Charlotte Bront\u00eb\u2019s iconic 19th Century tale of one woman\u2019s quest for equality and freedom transcends its roots as an intimate first-person narrative erupting onto the stage as a fully fledged opera. Bringing to life heroine Jane Eyre\u2019s emotional dilemmas through music, John Joubert\u2019s composition and Kenneth Birkin\u2019s libretto are now staged in their entirety for the first time.<\/p>\n

Award-winning director Eleanor Burke\u2019s bold interpretation keeps the presence of Bertha, the mad woman in the attic, alive for the audience as Steffi Fashokun\u2019s balletic moves weave around the main action. She refuses to be forgotten. Taking the titular role is Egyptian soprano Laura Mekhail, expertly embodying Jane\u2019s turmoil, self-sacrifice and desires. Her duets with British baritone Hector Bloggs, who plays brooding Rochester, are magnificent. The accompanying cast adds real gravitas and solemnity to the performance. Tenor Lawrence Thackeray deserves a mention for his humorous portrayal of the Reverend in act two as does soprano Anna Sideris\u2019s subtle yet affecting range of facial expressions, helping to drive the narrative along.<\/p>\n

Conductor and musical director Kenneth Woods draws wonderfully on a talented orchestra to capture Joubert\u2019s \u201cenergising harmonies\u201d, which make profound use of clashes and bi-tonality, and deliver an unsettling and dark tone throughout. Emeline Beroud\u2019s set and costume design reinforces the bleak, overbearing setting of Thornfield, making strong use of red threads to contrast with the dull, conservative, buttoned-up dress of the Victorian era. Staying true to Green Opera\u2019s sustainability credentials, there are minimal props and costume changes and everything has an air of reuse to it.<\/p>\n

Jane Eyre<\/em>\u00a0is part of the line up for the seventeenth edition of the Grimeborn Opera Festival which features radical and innovative productions from across the globe. The Arcola Theatre aims to be the world\u2019s first carbon neutral theatre while its co-producer for this festival, Green Opera, is committed to uniting art and environmental consciousness. The festival runs until mid September with a range of unique offerings so why not indulge in some Tosca, dive into\u00a0Tristan und Isolde<\/em>\u00a0or get a hit of\u00a0Sense and Sensibility<\/em>? This is opera like you\u2019ve never seen before and at an affordable price tag.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n