JANE EYRE Will Make UK Premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant 

Jane Eyre, a musical by John Caird and Paul Gordon based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë, will receive its UK Premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant for a strictly limited season from August 28 to 24 October 24, 2026. It will be produced by Adam Blanshay Production and David and Hannah Mirvish. 

The show will be co-directed by RSC and National Theatre director John Caird, who previously adapted and co-directed the original production of Les Misérables in the West End, on Broadway and across the world. Most recently he directed the hugely successful and critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Spirited Away at the London Coliseum. Broadway’s Megan McGinnis, star of Beauty and the Beast, Little Women and Beetlejuice, will co-direct alongside John Caird. Casting and full creative team will be announced soon. 

John Caird said: “I’m so pleased to have the opportunity to explore a new version of Jane Eyre in the beautifully intimate Southwark Playhouse Elephant.  It's always a pleasure to work on this timeless romance but all the more exciting to be collaborating with the brilliant and innovative Megan McGinnis as co-director.” 
 
Paul Gordon added: “I’m beyond thrilled to finally bring the musical of Jane Eyre to the UK.  Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece is not only a landmark portrayal of a strong female protagonist, but a story that sends audiences out of the theatre feeling better about their own lives than when they walked in.” 

Producer, Adam Blanshay said: “I’ve been a fan of Jane Eyre since its inception, and it’s a tremendous honour to introduce it to UK audiences in a fresh staging. I hope it will particularly resonate with young adults and today’s theatre-goers, capturing the story’s emotional power for a contemporary audience. Collaborating with this exceptional creative team, whose work I’ve admired my whole life, is a true privilege. As a Canadian, partnering with Mirvish Productions, who inspired my love of theatre, is especially meaningful.” 

Producer, Hannah Mirvish added: “I remember the original version of John and Paul’s musical adaptation of Jane Eyre that we did when I was young. I saw the show more times than I remember. A couple years later I was assigned the book to read in school. Both left their indelible mark on me. Now, to have a chance to bring this story back to the stage is a joy.” 

Jane’s journey, from cruelly-used orphan to independent womanhood, centres on the dark and beautiful Thornfield Hall and its owner, the mysterious and conflicted Edward Rochester. Here Jane is caught up in a web of secrets and lies, physical and moral danger, self-doubt, betrayal and heart-breaking loss. How she restores herself, through inner strength, self-knowledge and forgiveness, gives this passionate story the most moving and uplifting resolution. 

Charlotte Brontë’s romance, derived from her own life story, is imbued with her own brand of fervent feminism, but also has elements of the gothic and the supernatural, both derived from her profound spiritual beliefs. These complexities and ambiguities are brought to vivid life in the figure of her heroine, the vulnerable, witty, lovable and indomitable Jane.