Review: Jane Eyre at Northern Stage Newcastle

“…truly a triumph…”

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë adapted by Sally Cookson, Mike Akers and the Original Company, Northern Stage Newcastle

By Melina Turner-Deeks

There is no doubt that it’s a hard job cramming 600 pages into a few hours without it seeming rushed; however, this production did a marvellous job. This was an excellent adaptation by Sally Cookson, Mike Ayers and the Original Company that retained all the core events, characters and nuances of the novel. As a self-confessed literature nerd, I was thrilled to see the original done justice!

This production was Lily Dyble’s mid-scale directing debut. The opportunity for this arose as last year she won a prestigious and well-contested award from the Royle Theatrical Support Trust (an incredible charity that focuses on regional theatre and up-and-coming directors). This is an all-hands-on-deck production, with support from Mercury Theatre, The Arts Council, as well as two supporting theatres (Northern Stage and Rose Theatre). It’s always an absolute pleasure to write for Northern Arts Review and champion the local Northern theatre scene – but this one was a double-whammy!

Olivia Marcus as Jane Eyre was astounding. Her mannerisms perfectly portrayed an honest, “poor, obscure, plain, little Jane”. Her depiction of this wonderfully peculiar and lonely character had all the confusion and frustration of someone trapped in the wrong circumstances and time. Her Mr Rochester (Gabriel Akuwudike) was wickedly manipulative with a marked dark streak, although Akuwudike managed to add complexity in the way he depicted Mr Rochester’s underlying affection and vulnerability. Special mention must go to Andrea Gatchalian, who absolutely dazzled the audience with her multiple roles as Helen and Adele. Adorable Adele (Gatchalian) brought some much-needed opportunities for lightness and laughter, and her bouncy childish joy and silliness gave the performance a balance. Leo Wan as Brocklehurst was as sinister as can be and had me quaking in my boots. Overall, the cast were incredible and made the production seamless and captivating.

The staging was sparse, featuring almost all the action on huge steps. This allowed, and indeed needed, a well thought-out and clever use of the space. The steps allowed hierarchies to be immediately clear, as well as allowing the small cast of eight to hustle and bustle around, using vertical space to make the supporting cast seem more numerous. The choreography (Natasha Harrison) was stylised and worked really well to add a dreamlike quality to the production. Movement and repetition were also used very cleverly to mark the passing of time and depict the gruelling and thankless routines that built the early part of Jane’s life.

It’s so tricky to translate a novel to a stage, especially one that’s so heavy with inner monologue and a central, isolated character. However, the genius way that this production tackled that not only successfully achieved this goal, but it demonstrated a new depth to Jane Eyre’s character. Even with a relatively small cast, it often felt like there was a larger chorus due to the ever-changing costumes, characters and frequent stylised movement. Shadows and clever lighting (Sánchez Roldán) often enhanced the feeling that the cast were more numerous. Cast members also frequently stood at the sides, observing the action, giving the whole performance an eerie feel of some unknown spectator.

I will not give out any spoilers, but the climax of the performance was heart-stopping – even if you’re a Jane Eyre nerd like me and already know the ending! This show was all-out genius; from the direction to the adaptation, and from the lighting to every single member of the cast. A true-to-text production, with ongoing and occasionally explosive airs of madness, loneliness, self-doubt and secrets. This was truly a triumph!

Jane Eyre plays at Northern Stage Newcastle until Saturday, 7 November 2026. Tickets are available here.

Melina Turner-Deeks is a poet and self-confessed literature nerd. She currently runs literary workshops and bookclubs in North Tyneside as The Literature Lass. When she is not baking, parenting or reading, she loves being outdoors and connecting with nature. Find her on Instagram here or Facebook here.