'Jane Eyre' Under Rehearsal

The Chinese theatrical adaptation of 'Jane Eyre', based on the romantic English novel of the same name by Charlotte Bronte, is currently under rehearsal in Beijing.

Chinese actress Yuan Quan in a loose grey cotton dress during the  rehearsal of 'Jane Eyre' [Photo: Xinhua]

The cameras moved in close and the spotlight was cast on the lead actress's plain face, which looked clean and natural with minimal makeup.

In a loose grey cotton dress, Yuan Quan was just as serene as 'Jane Eyre' in the novel.

Though never losing her dress sense, she prefers to put on something less glamorous for rehearsal.

The grey outfit was specially made for rehearsals as the actress needs to feel a certain way in order to immerse herself into the role and get closer to the character. This certainly worked as she wore the dress every time while practicing her lines.

Wang Luoyong, China's first mainland Broadway singer and an experienced actor, plays Jane Eyre's lover, Edward Rochester.

Yuan said this renowned 'Engineer' from the musical 'Miss Saigon' has instilled much spirit into the drama and gives her the right feeling to better build up the role. She initially worried that working with Wang would be a big challenge but instead has drawn a lot of inspiration from him.

The actor also enjoyed their collaboration very much.

"In my mind, she really has a lot of similarities with Jane Eyre," said Wang, adding Yuan Quan doesn't impress people with her striking looks, instead her beauty glows from within and it is very impressive.

The drama will take to stage in the National Center for the Performing Arts from June 19-28.