Jane Eyre
01 September 2026
Southwark Playhouse Elephant
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Jane Eyre is currently running at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant until the 24 October. Based on the beloved Charlotte Brontë novel, the musical has finally hit the UK.
Orphaned at a young age, Eyre is raised by an abusive aunt who hates her, and later sent to a strict boarding school where she studies and eventually becomes a teacher. As she reaches adulthood, she longs for more and takes on a position as governess at Thornfield Hall, where she quickly falls in love with the owner, Edward Rochester. But Edward is hiding a secret that stands in the way of their love.
The musical feels like a speed-run through the book, leaving out many major plot points and condensing everything down to the bare minimum to still tell a cohesive story. There is very little deeper exploration of emotions or motivations, leaving the production feeling rather flat and somewhat bland.
The score itself also feels quite samey. While it is a haunting, gothic score that suits the story very well, it does not change significantly throughout the show, rather feeling like one big piece of music instead of distinct songs. This leads to none of the songs being particularly memorable, melting into each other and largely not standing out.
While the cast is doing their utmost to make the musical work, with brilliant vocal talent and a haunting staging throughout, the structure of the narrative just does not live up to the classic novel, leaving out too much of the plot and relying on repetitive songs rather than deeper emotional exploration.
