Legendary film-maker Ken Russell is in Bradford this week staging a ballet about Charlotte Bronte.

The director, whose films include Women in Love and The Devils, was at Idle theatre school Stage 84 yesterday directing youngsters in the production, which puts Charlotte Bronte in the Big Brother house!

The ballet, which was on today in four performances between noon and 3pm outside the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth, forms part of this week's Radical Brontes festival taking a contemporary look at the work of the literary family.

"I started as a dancer - I danced in the chorus of Annie Get Your Gun at the Bradford Alhambra in 1950," said Mr Russell, 78. "This production marks my triumphant return to Bradford!

"I came to Bradford in July for the Delius festival and I met Joolz Denby who told me about her Bronte Burlesque, which I'm going to film. I had a look around the Haworth Parsonage and decided to do something for the festival."

The production, called Charlotte Bronte Enters The Big Brother House, merges Charlotte with Jane Eyre.

Mr Russell said: "Charlotte first presented Jane Eyre as an autobiography, they were both governesses and had strong personalities. Because of her personality, there's a sense of Charlotte still being among us so I decided to put her in the Big Brother house.

"When she's called to the dreaded diary room she's in limbo and there's a dream-like evocation of her as half Charlotte and half Jane. She imagines her dead sisters are with her and she falls for Rochester - but their wedding is interrupted by his mad wife."

Mr Russell admitted to being a Big Brother fan. "Against my better judgement though!" he laughed. "You get the nastiest bunch of people in there but it's compulsive viewing.

"Big Brother is contemporary and that's what the Radical Brontes is about. Anything that keeps the Bronte flame going has to be welcomed.

"I suppose the reason we're still fascinated by the Brontes is that they were a curious bunch and remain an enigma. Nobody knows what they were really like.

"And of course Jane Eyre is such a good story, much better than Wuthering Heights. I never saw the appeal of Heathcliff, he has no redeeming features, but you can see why Jane falls for Rochester."

The ballet stars Mr Russell's wife, Elize, as Charlotte/Jane. She and Mr Russell went to Bradford's Bombay Stores this week to buy material for the ballet.

Earlier this week Mr Russell watched Stage 84 pupils rehearsing for their production The Wizard of Oz, running at the Alhambra next month.

He said: "They're wonderful performers. Their show looks fantastic, it has incredible energy and choreography. I seriously think it should be on Broadway."

Mr Russell will attend the world premiere of The Three Musketeers at the Alhambra on Saturday. "I'm a great admirer of the Northern Ballet Theatre. The founder, Christopher Gable, was a good friend and was in some of my films," he said.

The Radical Brontes is part of Illuminate, a year-long festival of culture in Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York.

David Wilson, interim director of Illuminate for Bradford Council, said: "When Ken said he wanted to direct a ballet here we put him in touch with Stage 84. He's very impressed with the children."

Stage 84 principal Valerie Jackson said: "He's lovely to work with, I took him and his wife for lunch at the Hitching Post pub in Idle. The children will never forget being directed by a film legend."

  • The Radical Brontes runs from September 16 to 24. For tickets ring (01535) 642323 or visit www.bronte.info.
e-mail: emma.clayton@bradford.newsquest.co.uk