No homework needed: “Gin & Gothic: A Brontë Rocktale” Returns In New, Interactive Venue

Any public school-attending high schooler has likely read works by the Brontë sisters, but you haven’t met them like this. Award-winning theatre group, Band of Toughs (BoTs), returns on January 16th with “Gin & Gothic: A Brontë Rocktale” to delve into the lives (and afterlives) of the Brontë family at Altona Grange in Longmont.

“You don’t need to know anything about the Brontës to see it,” Colleen Mylott, one of the original co-founders of BoTs in 2010, said in an interview with Yellow Scene. “We make it accessible. For us, the organizing principle is “How is what they wrote resonant with us today?” To create, to be powerful, and to love each other?”

A previous iteration of “Gin & Gothic” was performed at DCPA, but in the “weird spaces” of the Ellie Caulkins Theatre, like in lobbies and loading docks. 

“[Band of Toughs is] so slow and so indie that I always tell people, “It’s okay if you haven’t heard of us yet,” Mylott says with a chuckle.

“We picked Altona Grange because it most resembles the house we imagined the Brontës grew up in,” Mylott continues. “There are two different levels to it, and we’ve done the staging to fit the more intimate Boulder-Longmont setting. When you think of the Brontës, you think of the Moores. I would say the Altona Grange is the Colorado version of the Moores, or as closee as we can get to it, being in the Foothills. We’re using every square inch throughout the space. People are jumping through windows. It’s a great time.”

In this original production, we follow the tenacious and gifted Brontë siblings as they love, lose, and conceive some of the most famous literature of the 19th century. This 120-minute performance takes place indoors and outdoors (with heating), and involves short walks between locations*, including stairs. Seating will be provided.

The music in “Gin & Gothic” is a mix of covers and originals, featuring rebellious female-fueled rock by the likes of Susie and the Banshees and Joan Jett. Kamara Thomas, BoTs’ rock band leader of the Bertha and the Bed Burners (a nod to Jane Eyre), has also written three original pieces, including “Wildfire.”

“Personally, what called me in was the power of siblings and creativity,” Mylott says. “That felt really resonant to me. Their literature and how passionate they were–it’s heart-driven. It wasn’t the literature that got me in the room, it was the music and rock influences. We’re looking at them as rock stars of their own age. They’re a collective of rebellious women. It’s rebellious inspiration, mixed with modern music.”

“Gin & Gothic: A Brontë Rocktale” will be performed at Altona Grange in Longmont the weekends of January 16th and 17th, and 23rd and 24th. The show features live music, a cash bar, and “just a lot of fun!” To purchase tickets, visit https://www.coloradotheatreguild.org/event/gin-gothic-a-bronte-rocktale/2026-01-24/.

*Due to the historic nature of Altona Grange, Band of Toughs unfortunately cannot ensure this experience is fully accessible. If you have questions about accessibility or accommodations, please email [email protected] prior to purchasing tickets.

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