BRONTË: A Solo Portrait of Charlotte Brontë

By William Luce

Performed by Sharon Mc Ardle

Directed by Declan Gorman

Produced by Vere Lenox-Conyngham, Anaverna

Costumes by Sinead Roberts

William Luce’s multiple award-winning drama, BRONTË: A Solo Portrait of Charlotte Brontë, has been presented in a new production specially commissioned by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of the author of Jane Eyre, who was of Irish heritage.  

On a windswept evening Charlotte returns to her home in a bleak Yorkshire parsonage having buried her last surviving sibling, Anne.  Faced with the daunting prospect of minding her Irish father into old age, she reminisces about her childhood, her gifted sisters Emily (author of Wuthering Heights), Anne (Agnes Grey) and other family members all deceased, and reflects on her own journey to literary fame.  In spite of her sadness she manages to find courage and laughter, wondering as the evening passes if another Irish clergyman might call by, the Rev. Arthur Bell Nicholls in whom she has an interest.

Performed by Sharon McArdle, a professional actor, who now lectures in Drama Education at DCU, directed by Declan Gorman, award-winning Fingal theatre artist and former artistic director of Upstate Theatre Project and produced by Vere Lenox-Conyngham at Anaverna, Ravenstale.

It has recently enjoyed very well received public performances at the Bronte Homeland Museum in County Down (through whom it was part-funded by Banbridge District Council), Ardgillan Castle, Anaverna House (which has produced the work) and Beaulieu house (as part of the Drogheda Arts Festival, 2017).

The running time of the show is 1 hour 20 minutes plus interval.