Olivia Marcus and Gabriel Akuwudike to Star in JANE EYRE at Storyhouse Chester

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Olivia Marcus plays the title role with Gabriel Akuwudike as Edward Rochester in this new adaptation.

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The cast has been announced for a powerful new stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's classic Jane Eyre which comes to Storyhouse this autumn. Jane Eyre will be presented at the Chester cultural venue from Tuesday, 10 November to Saturday, 21 November 2026. Tickets are on sale priced from £19.50 For Storyhouse Members.

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The role of Jane will be played by Olivia Marcus while Gabriel Akuwudike will appear as Edward Rochester. The cast also includes Oscar Adams, Aamira Challenger , Millie Faraway, Andrea Gatchalian , Kate Kordel , Robyn Rose -Li and Leo Wan.

Orphaned as a young girl, the passionate and sensitive Jane Eyre longs to escape the clutches of her cruel aunt. Freedom beckons when she is offered the job of governess in the house of the brooding and secretive Mr Rochester.

As intrigue turns to attraction, Jane finds herself drawn in by Rochester's mercurial charm. But when the truth finally comes out, she will be forced to choose between the man she wants - and the woman she wants to be.

Olivia Marcus plays Jane Eyre. Olivia is an actor and writer who has appeared in series regular roles in Disney Plus's Extraordinary and Channel 4's Everyone Else Burns. Further screen credits include Stath Lets Flats (C4); Here We Go, Bad Education and Starstruck (BBC), feature film Masters of the Universe and short film Sleepyhead which premiered in official selection at the BFI Film Festival. On stage she has played Jane Seymour in The Mirror and the Light (RSC/Gielgud Theatre), with other roles in These Demons (Theatre 503) and Lord of the Flies (Theatr Clwyd/Sherman Theatre).

Gabriel Akuwudike is Mr Rochester. Gabriel trained at Drama Centre in London. His work in theatre includes Arcadia (Old Vic); Macbeth (Lyric Hammersmith); Hamnet (RSC); King Lear (the Globe) and My Father's Fable ( Bush Theatre ). Television credits include Shetland (BBC); The Chelsea Detective (Acorn); Screw (C4); The Doll Factory (Paramount+); Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon); Hana (Amazon) and Ridley Road (Red Productions).

Oscar Adams plays John Reed /Reverand/St John. Oscar graduated from Oxford School of Drama in 2021, before which he had been acting at the Bristol Old Vic with its Youth Company. Since graduating he has been nominated for an OFFIE for Best Newcomer in My Brother's Keeper (Theatre 503). His other stage credits include This Much I Know (Hampstead Theatre). Screen credits include Ains in Surviving Earth and Jamie in Gangs of London (Sky Atlantic).

Aamira Challenger appears as Grace Poole/Teacher/Diana. Aamira trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Theatre credits include Cinderella (CAST); Pride and Prejudice (UK tour); The King's Speech (The Watermill Theatre ); Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution (London County Hall); The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare's Globe); Breeding (King's Head Theatre); The Lavender Hill Mob (UK tour); Macbeth (US tour); The Great Gatsby (US tour); Blithe Spirit ( Theatre Royal Bath /UK tour and West End); Romeo and Juliet (Wales Millennium Centre) and The Case of the Frightened Lady (UK tour). Screen credits include Paper Straws (Roundhouse) and Circle Triangle (Bambira).

Millie Faraway is Bessie/Blanche. Millie studied at RADA, graduating in 2024. Professional credits include The Kneebone Cadillac (Wildwords); Lynn Faces (New Diorama); Kevrin: Out of Season (Jasmine Cole Productions with support from The Royal Court Theatre ) and film Then and Now. She had recently undertaken development work with National Theatre Studios; RSC; Unicorn Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Andrea Gatchalian takes on the roles of Helen and Adele. Andrea's theatre credits include Kyoto (RSC and Soho Place); Ikaria ( Park Theatre ) and The Wolves (The Space). Screen credits include Wednesday (Netflix); The Road Trip (Paramount+) and Bad Education (BBC).

Kate Kordel is Aunt Reed/Mrs Fairfax. Kate's theatre credits include Noughts and Crosses (Regent's Park Theatre ); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Perspective (both National Theatre); Probable Cause (Arcola); He Wore a Red Hat (New Perspectives/ Nottingham Playhouse ); The Comedy of Errors (Exeter Northcott); Richard II (Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Orange Tree Theatre); The Enchanted Trail (Rose Theatre, Kingston); On the Road, Hobson's Choice and The Taming of the Shrew (RADA); Romeo and Juliet and Machinal (Bristol Old Vic); Fences (Soho Theatre) and The Voices (Warwick Arts Centre). Television includes Sister Boniface, What it Feels Like for a Girl and Doctors (BBC); Trial by Jury, Northern Soul and Legal Heights (C4); Coronation Street and Hollywood Squares (ITV); The Park Bench (Apple); Intergalactic ( Tiger Aspect ); The End of the F***ing World (Netflix/C4); Three Women (Red Bee) and Scandi (Blue Moon).

Robyn Rose -Li plays Bertha. Robyn's stage credits include The Book of Mormon (West End); Hairspray (London Coliseum); Tammy Faye the Musical ( Almeida Theatre ); Fly More than You Fall – for which she was nominated for an OFFIE for Lead Performance in a Musical (Southwark Playhouse); The Baker's Wife ( Menier Chocolate Factory ) and Disney's Hercules (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). Screen credits include Wonka.

Leo Wan appears as Brocklehurst/Mason. Leo's theatre credits include Man and Boy (National Theatre); Odd and the Frost Giants (Unicorn Theatre); Chariots of Fire (Sheffield Theatres); Macbeth (ETT); The Good Person of Szechwan (Sheffield Theatres and Lyric Theatre Hammersmith); ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS (Sheffield Theatres); The Mirror and the Light (Gielgud Theatre); Miss Julie (Storyhouse); As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew (RSC); The Great Wave (National Theatre); Shakespeare Within the Abbey and Sonnet Walks (Shakespeare's Globe); Forgotten and Tamburlaine (Arcola); The Spanish Tragedy (Old Red Lion); Das Ding and The Rover (New Diorama) and Jekyll & Hyde (Southwark Playhouse). Television includes Big Mood and Crashing (C4) and Bridgerton (Netflix). Radio includes Death at the Airport, Lights! Camera! Kidnap!, Prime Cut, Tracks, Looks Who's Back, The Periodic Table and Memsahib Emma (BBC Radio 4).

Jane Eyre is a Storyhouse, Mercury Theatre Colchester, and Rose Theatre co-production, in association with Northern Stage, supported by a grant from the Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST). It is based on Sally Cookson , Mike Akers and the original company's acclaimed adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's groundbreaking novel and will be directed by 2025 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner Lily Dyble .

The annual RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award is designed to provide an up-and-coming director with a first-time, career-breakthrough opportunity to originate and direct, as sole or lead director, a fully funded production as part of a main stage season of plays at a leading regional UK theatre and to tour to other similar venues. Storyhouse was on the panel of the 2025 awards.

Set designer is Anna Yates, Costume Designer is Khadija Raza , lighting design is by Lucia Sanches Roldan, and Joseff Harris is sound designer and composer. Movement director is Natasha Harrison , Fight director is Rachid Sabitri and intimacy director is Haruka Kuroda . Casting is by Helena Palmer .

Jane Eyre is one of several adaptations of classics under the Storyhouse Originals banner for 2026. Storyhouse Originals is the Chester venue's strand of vibrant and imaginative homegrown productions. Previous shows include Miss Julie, Bluestockings, Sophocles' Antigone, Faustus: That Damned Woman, The Parent Agency and Kinky Boots, as well as Storyhouse's popular annual Christmas productions and shows at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre.

Storyhouse Creative Director Suzie Henderson said today: "Charlotte Brontë's revolutionary masterpiece Jane Eyre remains as potent today as it did when it was written in 1847, and this dynamic and imaginative new stage adaptation promises to present it in visceral and powerful fashion.

“I'm delighted to be able to reveal such an exciting cast of talented actors who are working with Lily Dyble in the rehearsal room to bring her thrilling storytelling vision to life for our audiences here at Chester. And I know this Storyhouse Originals production, a collaboration with Colchester's Mercury Theatre and the Rose Theatre at Kingston, will be a real highlight of our autumn season.”

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Cast-Set-For-JANE-EYRE-at-Storyhouse-20260924)._