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Feminist intent, uneven impact
A contemporary interpretation of Jane Eyre doesn't quite hit the mark for SUSAN DARLINGTON
Independent spirit: Dreda Blow as Jane Eyre
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Jane Eyre
Leeds Grand Theatre
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THERE have been so many theatrical adaptations of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre that finding a truly original interpretation is no easy task.
Thus it proves with Cathy Marston’s dance theatre production for Northern Ballet, nominated for the South Bank Sky Arts Dance Award last year, which uneasily balances the traditional with the feminist.
Jane Eyre, represented at different ages by Dreda Blow and Antoinette Brooks-Daw, is shown as an independent spirit from the start. With fists clenched and head bowed, she stoically rebels against the cruelties inflicted on her by her aunt Mrs Read and the rigours of Lowood School.
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