Jane Eyre shaken and stirred into a modern cocktail

Teaming up with Aria award-winning Superjesus frontwoman Sarah McLeod, the group has re­imagined Charlotte Bronte’s dark romance for modern audi­ences.

Nelle Lee as Jane Eyre, left, and Sarah McLeod as Bertha Mason in the Shake and Stir stage adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Set in a cold, northern England estate, Charlotte Bronte’s dark and brooding romance Jane Eyre has long captivated readers such as Nelle Lee.

She first read the novel in high school and was pleasantly surprised by her attraction to the romantic and gothic characters and landscapes. So when she was given the opportunity to adapt the story for the stage, the co-founder of Brisbane theatre group Shake and Stir leapt at the chance.

Teaming up with Aria award-winning Superjesus frontwoman Sarah McLeod, the group has re­imagined the tale for modern audi­ences, scored it with a gothic rock soundtrack and got Michael Futcher in as director.

Lee will star as the titular Jane Eyre among an ensemble cast that includes Helen Howard and Anthony Standish during its run at Queensland’s Performing Arts Centre.

“It’s tricky because I feel like modernising is not the right word,” Lee said. “It’s about giving the story a currency and making it relevant — we don’t recontextualise it.

“We try to maintain it as a timeless piece while making sure we can massage it into a dialogue and form that isn’t jarring for modern audiences.”

It is the first time McLeod has worked on a theatre production but the guitarist will play piano for an audience for the first time this weekend. “There are so many layers to this. I’m playing five different characters and performing all the music on an instrument that’s new to me.

“It’s pretty full-on but I love that, as terrifying as it is,” she said.

Since Shake and Stir was founded 15 years ago by co-artistic directors Lee, Ross Balbuziente and Nick Skubij, it has grown to 12 full-time team members.

Adaptations of George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 each won the APACA Drover Award for National Tour of the Year in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and the group has achieved Helpmann Award and Matilda Award nominations for their takes on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.

Education is an important arm of the group’s work. For the past 10 years, Shake and Stir has been working with schools around the country to perform for and educate school-aged children.

Jane Eyre is at QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre until 9 November.