Charlotte Brontë has a secret. In fact secrets seem to run in the family...

How could an unmarried woman living in a secluded parsonage, with only her sisters for company, write one of the World's greatest love stories? Charlotte had secretly fallen in love with her married French Professor. She had tasted love and her secrets echo in the pages if Jane Eyre.

Carefully constructed from Charlotte's own letters and novels, Miss Brontë tells a true story of ambition, forbidden love and the deep bond of family.

Venue Format
Theatre
Technical Rating
C, The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
3
Considerations

Not suitable for young children due to complex language and themes.

Mel Dodge has an MA in Acting from ArtsEd, London and a BA in English and Theatre Studies from the University of Otago. She is an experienced Producer, Writer and Actor. Her acting credits include Uncle Vanya (Chapman Tripp Actress of the Year Award, The Listener Actress of the Year), Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Miss Bronte, Rabbit and Mammals at Circa Theatre. Blackbird and The Perfumed Garden for The Court Theatre. Who Needs Sleep Anyway and No Moa for Downstage Theatre. Emma, My Heart is Bathed in Blood, (The Listener Actress of the Year) The Country Wife, Kiwifruits and Shop Till You Drop for the Fortune Theatre. Credits for independent companies in Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand include Father Familiar, Shadows of Angels, Collected Stories, Taming of the Shrew, Power and Persuasion-Selections from Shakespeare, Everloving Friends, Cosi, Medea, Revenge of the Amazons and Waiting for Godot. Now living in Sydney, She has a production company called BRAVE for which she has written, produced and performed Miss Bronte, Jane Austen is Dead, Steel Ballerina, Fight or Flight, The 1/4 Pounding and Anything to Declare. These shows have had seasons throughout New Zealand and have toured to Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Edinburgh. Mel also works as a teaching artist creating plays with indigenous children and children from refugee backgrounds.

Marketing Materials

The name Bronte is a very strong selling point. Our classical, simple marketing targets the correct audience. The show can be performed in a theatre or a suitable historical home. Links to historical homes bring in a different audience. This is also useful for touring to different areas. It is suitable to be attached to writer's festivals. There is an education element to the show and we are happy to provide post show discussions and run workshops linking the show to literacy outcomes for senior students in schools. We can also run writing or acting workshops for communities.

Community Engagement

There is the opportunity to engage historical homes in a creative event.

Creative workshops will encourage any writers, whether young or old. The workshop involves writing from a character's perspective and encourages participants to create a character from a real person they admire. The objective of the workshop is to spark creativity. This could also be linked to local libraries or schools.