TONS of tragedy, pots of torment and a little bit of English Lit were on the syllabus for Blackpool Grand Youth Theatre.

A tale written in 1857 may have seemed an unlikely choice for this modern youth group, but Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre really gave the young actors a chance to explore the art of speech without being able to hide behind big actions and hammy over-acting.

Naomi Houldsworth impressed as a young Jane Eyre sent to an orphanage under the harsh rules of the cruel principal Mr Brocklehurst (Richard Neale).

And Elizabeth Broughton took up the reins admirably as the older Jane who falls passionately in love with her enigmatic employer Mr Rochester -- played with a maturity far beyond Daniel Fard's 16 years and making him definitely one to watch for the future. And apparently quite a young heartthrob already according to some of the audience!

Claire Hamilton was enchanting as his flighty French ward Adele and the rest of the theatre pulled together to make this a memorable production with a little bit of education from youth theatre director Michael O'Hara.

But the star of the night had to be narrator Charlotte Bronte herself, played perfectly by Jess Heywood with just the right amount of intelligence and corseted passion.