TWO Brontë classics were brought to life today in Haworth by leading British theatre companies.

The National Theatre visited the Brontë Parsonage Museum to show off the leading actors in its forthcoming national tour of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

Also at the Parsonage were members of the National Youth Theatre to perform excerpts from their new stage adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

Both novels were written at the Parsonage in the mid-1800s when it was home to Charlotte, Emily, their siblings Anne and Branwell, and their father the Rev Patrick Brontë.

Nadia Clifford and Tim Delap will play Jane Eyre and Rochester in Sally Cookson’s “energetic and imaginative” new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece and took time out from rehearsals to visit the atmospheric Parsonage Museum.

Jane Eyre, a co-production between the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic, achieved acclaim when it premiered last year – during Charlotte’s bicentenary year – and will embark on a six-month tour next week.

Yorkshire dates include the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield (April 18-22), the Grand Opera House, York (May 22-27) and the Leeds Grand Theatre (July 31 to August 5).

Museum spokesman Rebecca Yorke said: ‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with the National Theatre on their tour of Jane Eyre and are thrilled to be welcoming the actors to Haworth for a glimpse at the house where the novel was written.”

This new stage version of Jane Eyre was originally presented in two parts at Bristol Old Vic, and then transferred to the National Theatre, re-imagined as a single performance, playing to sold out houses.

Also visiting the Brontë Parsonage Museum today was the National Youth Theatre as part of a country-wide event to launch its 2017 season.

There were 50 play readings of NYT commissions at venues as diverse as the National Centre in Leicester, a furniture store in Finsbury Park and the home of the Brontë family.

Some of the plays were also broadcast live on Facebook.

The rehearsed reading of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, in a new adaptation by Stephanie Street, featured local NYT member Beccie Allen.

She said: “This is my first time helping to produce and direct so it has been a massive learning curve, from arranging cast to locations and costume ideas.

“What has been amazing is finding so many like-minded young performers from all over Yorkshire who are full of passion and excitement for this reading to go ahead.”

NYT, the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, is this year celebrating five decades of commissioning new work to young people.

Each year the organisation organises open casting few people across the UK, with many of its members going on to professional stage, TV and film careers.

Rebecca Yorke, from the Parsonage, said the museum team were delighted to be hosting the National Youth Theatre.

She said: “We are always seeking ways to engage with young people and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to both support an important initiative and promote the legacy of the Bronte family.”