Dundee Rep Theatre, October 28 to November 2

Jane Eyre

Although it took time to be accepted as such, Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre has come to be accepted as a groundbreaking work in the history of literature, not just for the involving technical nature of its first-person narrative, but for the very feminist implications of the light it cast upon a woman’s inner life.

“I’ve always loved the book,” says actor Kelsey Short, who plays Jane Eyre in this touring stage version of Bronte’s novel by playwright Nick Lane and the Berkshire-based Blackeyed Theatre.

“The story and the character herself are so current, even now. She’s an independent woman, she knows what she wants, and in today’s society that’s so prominent.

“It’s a great story to tell, of a woman who came from nothing, who has nothing, but she still knows what she wants and needs, and she won’t settle for anything less – whether it’s her job or love, she stays true to what she’s passionate about until the end. It’s about female empowerment.”

Set in the north of England, the tale tells of Jane Eyre’s life from an abusive childhood, through schooling and work as a governess and teacher, and of the recurring influence of her mysterious employer at Thornfield Hall, Mr Rochester.

“Even though society was so different, she still holds true to (what we expect from) a woman in society today,” says Short.

“I think that’s why she’s so special, she’s a law unto herself and she has her own mind – even if she shouldn’t have said something, she’s completely honest, and I think that’s what’s endearing about her.”

For Short, the intensity of this job is high, and not just because of the touring schedule. When we speak she’s preparing to perform the role later that evening on the Isle of Wight, an early date in a largely UK-based touring schedule – with a couple of dates in the Netherlands and a run in China to close – which lasts until next spring.

“I never leave the stage, I narrate the story and I’m in the scenes, so it’s a big task,” she says. “It’s fun, though – in a couple of theatres the audience has been really close to the stage, and I enjoy that, because you can look them in the eye and react off of them. It means they’re so much closer to the story and the characters.”

She also takes pleasure in watching the other four members of the ensemble switch between multiple characters.

“We start at the end of the story and then return to it,” says the actor. “Jane is 29, then we go back to when she was 10, then 18 at Thornfield, so I had to figure out how to make her younger, but not comically younger.

Kelsey Short plays Jane Eyre in the touring stage version of Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 novel.