Reimagining the classics

Why it matters?

One of the great joys of amateur theatre is the freedom to experiment—to take well-known stories and explore them in new ways. This year, the Compton Players did just that with our festival production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Rather than retelling the story as a straightforward period piece, we reimagined it with a fresh setting and stripped-back staging, asking what does this story mean now, and why do we still tell it?

Reimagining a classic isn't about fixing what’s broken—it’s about uncovering new layers of meaning. Stevenson’s novella may be rooted in Victorian anxieties about science, duality, and moral restraint, but the themes are strikingly relevant today. Our adaptation brought the story into a 1970’s urban setting—an era of upheaval, disillusionment and shifting identities—which offered a compelling backdrop to explore Jekyll’s internal conflict.

Why do we reimagine? Because these stories endure not just for what they say, but for how they can speak to each generation. A new context allows us to draw out resonances that may not have been visible before. In Jekyll and Hyde, we were particularly interested in the tension between public persona and private self—how much of our identity is constructed, and what happens when the mask slips? These questions feel as urgent now as they did in Stevenson’s time, perhaps more so.

There’s also a practical reason: reimagining allows us to create theatre that is manageable, focused and engaging for modern audiences. A brisk one-act structure, stylised ensemble narration and a minimalist set allowed us to keep the pace tight while maintaining emotional impact. By cutting away excess, we distilled the story to its psychological essence.

But most importantly, reimagining the classics lets us make them our own. As performers, directors, and designers, we aren’t simply replicating someone else’s vision, we are engaging in a living conversation with the past. Every choice we make breathes new life into the material.

I believe the classics deserve this kind of creative attention. They’re not museum pieces—they’re springboards. Our Jekyll and Hyde was just one example of how a familiar tale can still surprise, provoke and move us. And I'm already thinking about what story we might reimagine next.

Pete Watts