The mad woman in the attic in Jane Eyre is placed centre stage in this intriguing examination of the life of Jean Rhys, author of the Wide Sargasso Sea – a novel that reinvents the life of Bertha, Mrs Rochester.

‘I thought I’d write the story as it might really have been. She seemed such a poor ghost. I thought I’d try to write her a life.’ Jean Rhys, Paris Review 1979.

Bertha becomes Jean’s alter ego. Both are locked, literally and metaphorically, and the key to their freedom is at the heart of Polly Teale’s moving and startling piece of theatre. After Mrs Rochester was first produced by Shared Experience in 2003.

By arrangement with Nick Hern Books.

By Polly Teale

Director – Angie Langfield
Sound Designer – Tida Chinyaga
Movement Coach – Vanessa Ewan 
Voice Coach – Claudette Williams
Fight Coach – Jonathan Leverett
Costume Supervisor – Hannah McMahon-Major
Production Supervisor – Shaz McGee
BA (Hons) Acting Course Leader – Nick Moseley 

Performed by BA (Hons) Acting, working alongside students from the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice.

Creative Team – BA (Hons) Theatre Practice Students
Assistant Director – Valeria Barajas
Set & Costume Designer – Angelica Rush
Lighting Designer – Jack Harris

Production Team – BA (Hons) Theatre Practice Students
Production Manager – Joe Monk
Stage Manager – Elisa Hermannsdottir
Assistant Production Manager – Edward Callow
Deputy Stage Manager – Chloe Wilson
Props Buyer & Assistant Stage Manager – Suzie Dubowski
Production Carpenter – William Edwards
Chief Electrician – Megan Curson
Lighting Programmer – Steven Frost
Production Sound Engineer – Amber Carey
Costume Makers – Rachel McNutt & Moneka Prato
Costume Makers & Dressers – Nenni Alenius, Yuval Dolev & George Hughes
Sound Crew – Jessica Cluff, Leeluu Dallas King, William Howe, Isobel Mackintosh, Dylan Saberton, Ali Taie & Chloe Toland
Production Electrician – Simon Moss