2020 Dates Announced For JANE EYRE International Tour

Six months of 2020 touring dates have been announced for Blackeyed Theatre's epic international tour of Nick Lane's thrilling new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece Jane Eyre. This spectacular world premiere is touring until June 2020, and will make its way across the UK, including a return home to the Yorkshire moors, as well as The Netherlands and China.

Heading to Yorkshire, where Charlotte Brontë was born and her famous heroine struggles for freedom, this Gothic masterpiece of tempestuous passions and dark secrets follows Jane Eyre from her orphaned childhood to her life at Thornfield Hall with the mysterious and brooding Mr Rochester. But her newfound happiness is threatened by hidden pasts in the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall and a terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice.

Blackeyed Theatre captivatingly brings to life an unforgettable portrayal of Jane's quest for equality in a patriarchal society. In spite of terrible hardships, Brontë's heroine perseveres in order to define her own life and happiness, rather than it being defined for her by others. A woman in a man's world striving to succeed independently, Charlotte Brontë originally published under a male pseudonym. Her and Jane's search for equality and freedom still hit home today.

The cast features Kelsey Short as Jane Eyre (Class, Spur of the Moment; F*cking Life Mate, JamesArts Productions; Broken, The White Bear), Ben Warwick as Mr Rochester (Pentecost; The Oedipus Plays, National Theatre; The Deep Blue Sea, Watford Palace; Les Liaisons Dangereuses and A Midsummer Night's Dream, York Theatre Royal; Hamlet, English Touring Theatre), Camilla Simson as Mrs Fairfax (The Merchant of Venice, The Globe, Rome; Thin Toes, Pleasance; Lady Windermere's Fan, Bill Kenwright national tour; Shakers, Liverpool Playhouse), Eleanor Toms as Blanche Ingram (The Secret Garden, The Minack Theatre; Astley's Astounding Adventures, New Vic; Blue Stockings, Cockpit Theatre), Oliver Hamilton as St John Rivers (Maggie May, Liverpool Everyman; Crossroads, The Actors Church; A Christmas Carol, Windsor Castle).

In their trademark style, Blackeyed Theatre's interpretation of Jane Eyre will feature an ensemble cast of actor-musicians. The performance includes live music written specially for the production by award-winning composer George Jennings.

Director and Producer Adrian McDougall says, Bringing Jane Eyre to the stage with such a wonderful group of artists and to see it thrive has been a sheer joy, to say nothing of the incredible reaction from audiences young and old. In 2020 we'll be bringing Brontë's masterpiece to many more UK theatres, including first-time visits to Crewe Lyceum and Theatre Royal Bath, and sharing it with audiences across The Netherlands and China. At a time when we feel so divided, it's comforting to see how much we have in common when it comes to our love of Brontë and, more broadly, literature and theatre.

Writer Nick Lane comments, Plays based on books have to be their own thing, no matter the manner in which their stories are related to an audience, and I think this production looks - and perhaps more importantly feels - both strongly connected to the source material and also is its own thing. I'm still pinching myself that I was given the chance to adapt such an incredible, iconic novel as Jane Eyre and I'm looking forward to seeing how the show has grown. I've been reading all the lovely reviews for the cast and for the production and I'm certain they'll continue.

Jane Eyre is produced by Blackeyed Theatre in association with South Hill Park in Bracknell and supported by Arts Council England.

Tour Dates

10th - 11th Jan Theater AINSI 8.30pm
Lage Kanaaldijk 112-113, 6212 NA Maastricht, Netherlands

13th Jan Parktheater 8.30pm
Elzentlaan 50, 5615 CN Eindhoven, Netherlands

15th - 16th Jan Hazlitt Theatre 7.30pm
36 Earl St, Maidstone, ME14 1PP

17th - 18th Jan Theatre Royal 7.30pm
Addington St, Margate, CT9 1PW

20th - 21st Jan Castle Theatre 7.30pm
10 Castle Way, Wellingborough, NN8 1XA

22nd - 23rd Jan Albany Theatre 7.30pm (+2pm Thu)
Albany Rd, Coventry, CV5 6JQ

24th - 25th Jan The Kenton Theatre 7.30pm
19 New St, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2BP

28th Jan - 1st Feb Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Tue - Thu 7.45pm, Fri - Sat 8pm
(+2.30pm Thu and Sat)
Millbrook, Guildford GU1 3UX

4th - 5th Feb Lighthouse 7.45pm (+1.30pm Wed)
Poole's Centre For The Arts, 21 Kingland Rd, Poole, BH15 1UG

6th - 8th Feb Arena Theatre 7.30pm
Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SE

10th - 12th Feb Theatre Severn 7.30pm (+2.30pm Wed)
Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, SY3 8FT

13th - 15th Feb Garrick Theatre 7.30pm (+2.30pm Sat)
Castle Dyke, Lichfield, WS13 6HR

24th - 25th Feb Waterside Arts Centre 7.30pm (+1.30pm Wed)
1 Waterside, Sale, M33 7ZF

27th - 29th Feb The Theatre 7.45pm (+2.30pm Sat)
2 Spring St, Chipping Norton, OX7 5NL

2nd - 3rd Mar Key Theatre Mon 7.30pm, Tue 2.30pm
Embankment Rd, Peterborough, PE1 1EF

5th - 7th Mar Devonshire Park Theatre 7.45pm (+2.30pm Sat)
8-10 Compton St, Eastbourne, BN21 4BW

10th - 11th Mar Capitol Theatre 7.30pm (+2.30pm Wed)
North St, Horsham, RH12 1RG

12th - 14th Mar Connaught Theatre 7.30pm (+2.30pm Fri)
Union Pl, Worthing, BN11 1LG

16th - 18th Mar New Theatre Royal 7.30pm
20-24 Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth, PO1 2DD

19th - 21st Mar Theatre Royal 7.30pm (+2.30pm Sat)
Jewry St, Winchester, SO23 8SB

24th - 25th Mar Town Hall 7.30pm
Market Pl, Loughborough, LE11 3EB

26th - 28th Mar Yeadon Town Hall 7.30pm (+2.30pm Fri)
High St, Yeadon, Leeds, LS19 7PP

30th Mar - 1st Apr Hull Truck 7.30pm (+2pm Wed)
50 Ferensway, Hull, HU2 8LB

2nd - 3rd Apr Performing Arts Centre 7.30pm
University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS

14th - 18th Apr Theatre Royal Bath 7.30pm (+2.30pm Wed and Sat)
Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET

21st - 22nd Apr Cast 7.30pm
Waterdale, Doncaster, DN1 3BU

23rd - 24th Apr Theatre Royal 7.30pm
Drury Ln, Wakefield, WF1 2TE

27th Apr - 2nd May Theatre Royal 8pm (+2.30pm Wed, 4.45pm Sat)
32 Thames St, Windsor, SL4 1PS

5th May Palace Theatre 7.30pm
Leeming St, Mansfield, NG18 1NG

6th - 7th May Middlesbrough Theatre 7.30pm
The Avenue, Middlesbrough, TS5 6SA

8th - 9th May Opera House 7.30pm
The Square, Water St, Buxton, SK17 6XN

11th - 12th May Grand Theatre 7.30pm
St Leonardgate, Lodge St, Lancaster, LA1 1QW

13th - 14th May Venue Cymru 7.30pm (+2.30pm Thu)
The Promenade, Penrhyn Cres, Llandudno, LL30 1BB

19th - 23rd May Lyceum Theatre 7.30pm (2.30pm Wed and Sat)
Heath St, Crewe, CW1 2DA

27th May - 21st Jun Tour of China