Nick's Rehearsal Commentary

First Rehearsals

When the first rehearsals began, it became very apparent the planning and blocking out of scenes will not be straight forward and will require constant experimentation and re-working. The actors are not only playing multiple roles but also animals and props and also providing sound effects. Bringing all these elements into a cohesive shape is a task that will need developing over the next few months. The opening rehearsal covered the first meeting between Jane and Rochester where she helps him after he falls off his horse. Both actors were keen to establish their characters attitudes during this meeting and their next conversation at Thornfield. Jane is reserved and reticent. Rochester is originally cold to her but then seems more inquisitive as the scene develops. He asks Jane whether she has ever loved someone, a key exchange emphasising the age gap and experience between the characters.

The second rehearsal moved on to the opening scene of the play where Jane as a child is reading a book. Here Bertha is established as an imaginary character as she interacts with Jane. This scene contains a lot of physical movements. What is amazing about this scene is the constant change of Bertha’s attitude towards Jane. At first she is guiding her, opening up her imagination. Then she is acting out Jane’s fantasies drawing her in. When John Reed enters the scene, Bertha becomes defensive and then attacks him on Jane’s behalf. Once the two characters are locked away, Bertha cajoles and berates her for not standing up to her oppressors and Jane tries to silence her. Finally Bertha becomes desperate as she is separated from Jane. It is an incredibly dramatic opening that will hopefully pull the audience headlong into the play.

The third rehearsal concentrated on a scene in the second act which looks back at Rochester and Bertha’s first meeting in the West Indies. In this scene, we see Rochester and Bertha in their younger guises, much different from the characters we have seen up to this point. The tone of this scene is completely at odds with the rest of the play. The characters are more sensual, alive and free of all social restrictions. This was a chance for the actors to take on something completely different. Although it is a short scene (only a page long), the movement required by the actors was complex and exhausting. What is very encouraging is that all of the actors were prepared to throw themselves into any situation and were comfortable interacting with each other. 

Nick Shelton