Nick's Rehearsal Commentary

The cast were shown a model of the set design created by Bob Stewart. There will be a raised back area which will act as the attic with a back door way as well as exits on either side.

During the picnic scene which establishes Rochester’s connection to Adele, a flashback scene was created to show his past with her mother. At this point, Alice playing Adele was keen to clarify the change her character goes through as Rochester does state in this scene that she has been transformed.

One of the problems of working on a play with so much physical action is that injuries can occur. This is particularly the case with scenes involving characters acting violently. There is a scene where Grace Poole has to drag Bertha off Rochester and she fights back. Both Paula and Kate spent a good twenty minutes alone choreographing this sequence in order to make sure the scene looks convincing without any of the actors getting hurt. It is another example of how even the shortest moments in the play require a significant amount of rehearsing to get absolutely correct.

For the party scene at Thornfield, Karen was keen to utilise every actor in the cast to create a lively atmosphere. In this scene, we are introduced to Blanche played by Faye and later on Mason played by Pete. Blanche is attracted to Rochester which provokes tremendous jealously from Jane. In this scene, a number of characters are vying for attention. Blanche is clearly the centre of attention although Adele is competing with her. Both Faye and Daniele playing Mrs Fairfax wanted to establish their movements and positioning in this scene.

For the opening scene Paula and Daisy, playing Bertha and Jane worked on movements involving painting and drawings with Bertha opening up Jane’s imagination. For the first time, there was an in-depth discussion regarding the characters, particularly Jane and Rochester. Jeremy felt that Rochester was trapped seeking some redemption which Jane could offer. Daisy felt that Jane was very wary of her emotions and her growing love towards Rochester. Both actors were interested in creating some key moments where the affection between them becomes apparent. These scenes were played out in a variety of different moods to see what worked best for each character.

Rochester: Where did you come from?

Rochester: I am disposed to be gregarious tonight Miss Eyre.

Jane: You may do as you please.

Jane: I don’t think sir you have the right to command me merely because you are older than I.

The four lines above are all key moments in this scene. They demonstrate Rochester’s desire to understand Jane and her growing confidence in answering him.

Nick Shelton