Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was adapted for the stage by David Edgar, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel published in 1886 and very much in the Gothic horror genre. It tells the story of Dr Henry Jekyll’s explorations into the duality of human nature, venturing into some of the darker aspects of Victorian society.

Director Valerie Bird has assembled a strong cast of actors to bring the story to life, with some newcomers to the Phoenix stage as well as familiar faces. Valerie has designed an ingenious set that split the stage into several different zones representing the locations covered by the story. Scene changes (and there were a lot of them!) took no time at all and, with Paul Impey’s clever lighting highlighting the current zone, the play was free to move along at a good pace, despite being very wordy in places. Costumes (by Phoenix Wardrobe) were of a good quality throughout and looked right for the period.

The play starts with an introduction provided by Garbiel Utterson and Richard Enfield, as narrators, simply spotlit in front of the curtain. Patric Howe was charismatic as Utterson, a respected lawyer, upright, reserved and dignified, trying to be a good friend to Jekyll. Christopher Pettit-Mee was spot on too with Enfield (a friend and distant cousin of Utterson), also reserved and formal and determined to do the right thing. Both gave their characters the right amount of gravitas. Lexi Brannigan’s Katherine (Jekyll’s sister) went against the formality of Victorian society, portraying a much gentler and more relaxed character which seemed to rub off on Jekyll when he was with her. She moved and held herself well but was a little quiet at times.

Danny McCrohon gave us an acting masterclass in his portrayal of Henry Jekyll. His transformation from gentle fun-loving uncle with an enquiring mind into a hunched over, lust-driven devil as Hyde was well handled, with a strong Scottish accent to emphasise the change. No makeup or wild hair was needed, the character transition was enough.

George Deacon impressed as Jekyll’s bewildered but ever faithful butler Poole, while Erin Corrigan shone as Katherine’s maid Annie, one moment being looked after by Jekyll then assaulted by Hyde. Geoffrey Pye played Dr Lanyon with great charm. A former friend of Jekyll’s, he was horrified at what he’d become. The rest of the cast worked well in the supporting roles.

I must compliment your programme compiler (sadly not credited) for another splendid, glossy production. Packed full of information, with nice biographies of the cast, it looked and felt utterly professional.

It was interesting to compare this version of the well-known story with the musical version that I saw just a few weeks ago. The stories differ quite a lot but I’m sure this version sticks much closer to the original novel and, I felt, gave us a much stronger flavour of society and its ideas in those times.

Congratulations Phoenix Players for giving us such a strong and memorable evening’s entertainment.

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