CHARLOTTE BRONTË SNARES THE SUITOR

A play by Joan Greening, premiered at the 2021 Brighton Fringe, online where it garnered a four star review. Written, produced and directed by Joan, and starring Sarah Archer, Julia Munrow, Emma Hopkins and Stu Jackson, the play is now available to view at Scenesaver: https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/charlotte-bronte-snares-the-suitor/

A comedy which tells the story of Charlotte Bronte’s romance with Arthur Bell Nicholls. Charlotte has refused Arthur many times, as she thinks he looks like an ox and is only a curate. Her aim in life is to give a comfortable life to her beloved Dada. She is cruel and unkind to Arthur when he proposes and he decides he has had enough of her and is thinking of going to Australia. The family servant, Tabby, suggests to Anne that it would be a good thing to persuade Charlotte to marry Arthur. Beloved Dada is nearly blind and Arthur does all the work in the Parish. If beloved Dada is unable to carry on he will be replaced and they will lose the house. Charlotte agrees to marry Arthur and he refuses as she has been unkind to him. Tabby steps in and eventually Charlotte is able to say ‘Reader, I married him’.

The Brighton Fringe Online four star review:

Charlotte Bronte Snares the Suitor
Charlotte (Sarah Archer) and Anne Bronte (Emma Hopkins) are the last of the six Bronte siblings left alive. Anne’s health is deteriorating fast as the
cough that took away Emily and Bramwell has now set in for her. Tabby (Julia Munrow) the long standing housekeeper at the Bronte household and
Charlotte’s perspective suitor Arthur Nicholls (Stu Jackson) make up the cast of four in this production.

Sibling rivalry, snobbery, dark family secrets which should never be spoken about and a potential suitor. Doesn’t this sound like the plotline from one of the Bronte sister’s novel? Well, in fact, it is the theme of the conversation taking place between the two remaining sisters’ life as they
discuss in a frank and honest manner life up to this point for the Bronte family. We only have the history books left to know whether these facts are
accurate or not.

Writer and director Joan Greening places Charlotte Bronte at the head of the family and the central character in this production. Charlotte’s air of
superiority and snobbery surrounding her own novels and social standing are repeated and she is often reiterating to Anne where her lower-class position lies within their family.

I was extremely impressed with the décor of the house in which the scenes were filmed. They were designed to look as authentic as possible.
Considering this production was filmed during lockdown with limited resources they have done very well.

Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights battle for pole position in this production. Anne’s brave suggestion that Emily’s novel was the most popular of the two is vehemently denied by Charlotte, who believes Jane Eyre is the only book worthy of reading.