Jane Eyre may describe herself as “plain, and little”, but how do you make a little musical about a literary heroine who looms so large? That question lies at the heart of Jane Eyre: a Musical, currently on at London’s Southwark Playhouse.
Adapted by John Caird and Paul Gordon from Charlotte Brontë’s novel, the production has itself undergone a process of dramatic reduction, from a lavish 30-member cast in a large theatre in 1996 to this intimate “chamber” version.