Review: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at New Theatre Royal, Southsea: ‘dynamically brings Stevenson’s story to life’

A violent, murderous monster treads the gas-lit cobblestones of Whitechapel and Soho, attacking those unlucky enough to cross his path.

Across the city, in the laboratories of St Bart’s hospital, Dr Henry Jekyll is pushing the boundaries of neurological science in the hopes of uncovering the secrets of the human psyche.

Gabriel John Utterson, an honest lawyer and friend to Jekyll, poses the question: just who is the enigmatic Mr Edward Hyde, beneficiary of the will signed by the ambitious but respected doctor?

I don’t need to tell you how this story goes.

It’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the classic Victorian Gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted for the stage and directed by Nick Lane of Blackeyed Theatre.

Mid-way through a two-night run at New Theatre Royal, this dark, intelligent, and polished production dynamically brings Stevenson’s story to life for the stage.

Although pre-psychoanalysis, the plot explores territory that would later become associated with Freud, and Blackeyed Theatre’s production pays keen attention to Stevenson’s musings on the duality of man.

The four actors, who play multiple roles (in a nod to the story’s central conceit), command impressive vocal and physical skills to deliver engaging performances.

The play’s use of shadows and slow-motion sequences are also striking, and the set is visually interesting: chests-of-drawers, headboards, and cupboards pieced together like a jigsaw and piled high, street lamps growing from overturned chairs.

A ideally ‘strange’ tale to revisit as we creep closer to All Hallow’s Eve.

Visit newtheatreroyal.com/performances/the-strange-case-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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