Joseph Taylor as Mr Rochester and Mariana Rodrigues as Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre. Photo: Emma Kauldhar
First Soloist Victoria Sibson goes backstage to talk about her costume for Bertha Mason in Northern Ballet’s JANE EYRE
Northern Ballet bring their stunning production of JANE EYRE to The Lowry for the first time this week. Originally premièred in 2016, this dramatic tale of romance, jealousy and dark secrets was nominated for the South Bank Sky Arts Dance Award in 2017 and features choreography by acclaimed British dance maker Cathy Marston.
Based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë, JANE EYRE tells the story of a plain but intelligent child who grows up knowing little kindness. Sent away to a charitable school, Jane later accepts a position as a Governess at Thornfield, a gentleman’s manor whose master is the dark and impassioned Mr Rochester. In spite of their social differences, an unlikely bond grows between the pair but as their romance develops, it becomes clear that Mr Rochester has a hidden past that threatens to ruin them both.
Ahead of its week-long run at The Lowry from 6 – 9 June, First Soloist Victoria Sibson goes backstage to tell us more about her costume for Bertha Mason. Bertha Mason is Mr Rochester’s insane wife and is confined to a secret room in Thornfield which is guarded by a servant, Grace Poole.
Victoria Sibson is dancing the role or Bertha. Here she talks us through the character’s costume: “Bertha’s costume is red, flame red. She is an absolute stand out character from the start. I think that the way Patrick Kinmonth designed her is completely different from the rest of the pack. She’s a little frayed at the edges and there’s nothing that looks uniform about her. The skirt is asymmetric, it’s hitched up on one side, cut and torn.
Wearing the costume I get the sense she has been through a lot. For me, the costume embodies the character and the choreography we’ve been creating with Cathy.
One of my all-time favourite parts of Bertha is the flame pas de deux that Rochester and I have towards the end of the ballet. I love it because I can let loose. I feel like I am her. “
JANE EYRE runs at The Lowry, Salford from 6 – 9 June 2018
Donna is the Founder and Editor of Frankly, My Dear UK. By day, she works as a digital marketing specialist, by night she reviews film, theatre and music for a wide range of publications including WhatsonStage and The Reviews Hub. Loves Formula 1, prosecco and life.
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