Jane Eyre Revival Opens in Colchester Before UK Tour
Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is back on stage in Colchester in a touring revival.
The production opened at the Mercury Theatre Colchester on 26 September and runs to 10 October 2026. It then tours to partner venues in Chester and Kingston. The dates come from the tour announcement WhatsOnStage.
Lily Dyble directs. She took on the job after winning the 2025 Royal Theatrical Support Trust Sir Peter Hall Director Award, a prize for early-career directors. The Mercury announced her appointment on 13 April 2026.
The show is a revival, meaning a new staging of an earlier production. It uses Sally Cookson and Mike Aker's adaptation of Brontë's novel. That version was first made by the Original Company in 2014, according to WhatsOnStage.
Olivia Marcus plays Jane. She stays in the role from Jane at age ten through to Jane as a young woman. Gabriel Akuwudike plays Edward Rochester.
Anna Yates designed the set. It centres on black bleachers fitted with speakers, with the cast seated around the action when not in a scene.
The production is a co-production, meaning the theatres share the cost of making it. The partners are the Mercury, Rose Theatre Kingston, Storyhouse Chester and Northern Stage in Newcastle.
That shared model explains the tour route. After Colchester, the production moves to Storyhouse Chester and the Rose Theatre. Photos from the tour launch confirm Colchester as the opening stop BroadwayWorld.
For audiences in Colchester, the practical details are simple. The running time is about 2 hours 30 minutes including an interval. Tickets are priced from £16.00 to £32.00, including a £2.50 ticket levy, according to the Mercury Theatre.
What makes this stand out for theatregoers is the scale of the team behind one classic. Four regional houses have pooled resources to open a familiar story in Colchester and then carry it on the road.
