All you need is love? Not when it comes to Jane Eyre. Director Sally Cookson tells Jane McGowan about her adaptation of the Brontë classic
It is one of the most famous books in English literature. Published in 1847, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre charts the fortunes of the eponymous orphan turned governess, whose hopes of love are cruelly dashed when she discovers that her husband-to-be – the formidable Mr Rochester – is still married.
But, of course, the story does not end there. And it is the totality of Jane’s experience, the frequently neglected gaps between the familiar highlights, that inspired director Sally Cookson to create her own adaptation for the National Theatre stage.
“I saw the Orson Welles version when I was about 10, and I was captivated by the cinematic style of the filmmaking and the drama of it all,” she recalls. “But it was only when I read the novel, years later, that I realised how hugely Welles had changed the story. It was now all about Rochester, with Jane as this passive heroine in love with her boss. To tell you the truth, it actually made me quite mad.”
Cookson’s work has become synonymous with strong female characters, many of whom had previously been seen as mere decoration. In contrast to this approach, Cookson places them firmly at the heart of the action. Jane Eyre, she asserts, is all about Jane – and her inspirational tale deserves to be fully told.
“I was determined that we were going to tell the life story, not the love story. The book was originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, taking her from childhood into adulthood, and for me the early part is intrinsic to the whole. I didn’t want to focus only on the romance.
“I find the book a clarion call for human rights. Jane is a character who strives for personal freedom to be who she really is. That’s what people can relate to, and it’s why the book is still being read today.”
Brinkhoff/Moegenburg
Although Cookson grew up in a theatrical household (her parents are both in the business), it was after seeing a panto at Leatherhead Theatre that she acquired a real taste for the stage. A career as an actress followed, but“10 years of unemployment with spats of work” persuaded her to change course. Accordingly she turned her hand to directing youth theatre at Bristol Old Vic.
“I loved acting and it has informed my current work,” she says. “I sort of fell into this job, but through youth theatre I realised that I really loved directing too. It was in trying to find work for lots of people that my devising skills were honed.”
Cookson has gone on to adapt and direct dozens of award-winning plays, including versions of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather and J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, which introduced audiences to a very spirited Wendy who was more than a match for both Peter and Captain Hook. Her next project is an adaptation of CS Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which she is producing with the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
“I am drawn to these classic titles,” she admits. “I’m intrigued as to why we still buy them, still want to film them and all the rest of it. I love trying to excavate a story and get to the real heart of it: that’s what turns it into good theatre.
“The task is to make it resonate though. People often cite Jane Eyre as their favourite book, so you have a responsibility there, but I am keen to challenge perceptions and get people to think about it in another way.”
- Jane Eyre is at New Victoria Theatre, Woking untilJune 3. For tickets visit: atgtickets.com
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