Jekyll and Hyde

One of the best things about this role for NODA is the huge variety that it delivers, and this recent visit saw a number of firsts for me. My 1st visit to see the adult section of Crash Bang Wallop, the 1st production in their custom-built theatre and weirdly my 1st time watching the Musical hit Jekyll and Hyde. All three new experiences delivered on a great level again raising the bar of what this Society can produce.

The unit that acts as their base was a perfect performance space for this show, the industrial style of the building worked perfectly for the dark themes within the show. Combining with an effective and elaborate lighting scheme and very clever use of the limited space available. I loved the minimalism on the stage with blacked out curtains used for most exits, small crate-like blocks provided seating and levels to the scenes and Dr Jekyll’s laboratory was cleverly hidden with a pop-up drape hiding a detailed den of intrigue and mystery. What a blank stage allows is the little details to shine. None more so than the amazing costumes adding colour, style and historical accuracy to the story. The props were ideal for the setting, and I must give praise to the production team for the effort put in; from the coloured liquids in the test tubes to the hanging lanterns that somehow managed to spin in the more intense scenes, every little detail was thought of.

The acoustics in the building allowed a strong vocal display from the ensemble to come across with the openings of Both Acts really showing off the hard work that Musical Director Hannah McCann had put into a very complex and tricky score. The harmonies were strong and despite minimal male cast members the balance was always handled well whilst allowing some seriously impressive Top-soprano lines to shine through. Not only did Hannah MD the show but she also shone herself in her role as the Bishop and within the ensemble pieces too.

Almost every member of this small cast had additional parts to play, and they all managed to switch characters around at ease. The female ensemble all seemed just as comfortable as working girls as they did Aristocratic nobles with their accents, mannerisms and energy perfect in both styles of characters.   It is impossible to mention every member of the ensemble but there were a few real standouts:

Danielle Cooper had a real edge to her as Spider, the owner of the Red Rat, her control and physical presence over the working girls provided a real menacing side.

Louisa Culley as Nellie had such great warmth to her, the beaming smile and cheeky looks creating a lovely characterization both as Nellie and one of the friendlier working girls in the group. An amazing stage presence, great vocalist and a real scene stealer in some of the bigger numbers.

Rachel Egan, the Doctor aside, was fabulous in the way she switched from the Pompous Lady Beaconsfield to Prostitute in such dramatic style. From a raised eyebrow and pinched nose to slow leg raise and sultry glances you would never have realized it was the same actress.

Joining these 3 ladies were the impressive Claire Williams (Poole) and Samantha Macdonald (Lord Savage) who along with Lucy Ivison as Lucy provided most of the choreography in the production as the girls of the Red Rat. Their slow and seductive dance numbers showed that an effective showcase does not need huge space or over-complicated routines to work, and boy did they work. The Cabaret style pieces really set the scene, using the crates as props the simple leg stretches, arm raising and slow twist and turns painting a wonderful picture on stage.

The large ensemble numbers really packed a punch with Joyce Binns, Eleanor Batch, Nicola Hughes, Suzanne Hilton and Hazel Clayson all helping to deliver great movement and vocals to these key scenes and large numbers. The large opening number, in particular, was full of action with almost every character being picked off one by one by the menacing Mr Hyde.

Key characters in the story were excellently cast with Hermione Wappat as Lady Danvers Carew delivering great control as one of the straight characters in the show. Demonstrating a lovely maternal and interfering side to her daughter’s life whilst combining fantastically for her duet with Emma, Letting Go.

Jamie Sloan had a wonderful nasty and creepy edge to him as Simon Stride, a complete contrast to the brilliant warmth and loyal John Utterson played superbly by Andy Nisbet. Andy really seemed to understand his character with such detail. Showing off a real conflict of loyalty to the Doctor whilst trying to control the chaos that was unravelling around him. It was great to see the part played without any trumpets or fanfare but with style and dignity, even the vocals whilst perfect in tone never needed to be shouted to come across with great clarity.

Whilst I am discussing vocals, I must praise the sensational quality of Rhianne Kent as Emma Carew. One of the most beautiful natural Operatic voices I have heard in some time. The ease in which she navigated her numbers was seriously impressive from prefect trills to a lovely resonant tone to her voice. Her mannerisms in the character of Emma were lovely to watch as her character battled with her fiancée’s mood changes. The raw emotion in her solo piece Once Upon a Dream was deeply moving and were it not for the duet with Lucy, In His Eyes, this would have been the standout vocal of the evening.

Lucy Ivison played the role of Lucy Harris, the working girl and true affection of Drs Jekyll and Hyde and was simply exquisite in the part. Her energy and passion as a working girl were sublime and she switched with ease to one of compassion and calm with her interactions with the Doctor. Not only a fantastic actress but her movement in the big Red Rat numbers was amazing and the power and tonality of her voice added to a wonderful story-telling ability. Lucy told me that this was her first lead role, well Lucy, it may have been your first but as the standout performer for me in the whole show this will most certainly not be your last.

As I previously mentioned the duet between Lucy and Rhianne, In His Eyes was the number of the evening for me personally. The mixture of the two voices, Rhianne’s Operatic tone and Lucy’s powerful richness combined with such perfection it had the hairs on my arms standing up.

Now in Musical Theatre there are some real iconic parts, and Dr Jekyll would certainly rank up there with them. Dave Nisbet, as Jekyll and Hyde, did a brilliant job in this complex role. Showing lovely character control in Act One with an almost distant and vacant mannerism it allowed the character to really develop throughout the story. His transformation into Hyde was subtle at first but slowly grew throughout the production as the drugs slowly overpowered his self-control. Heavily involved for the whole show, his vocal control showing off a great range and not faltering despite the intense characterization in his scenes. There was a lovely contrast between his elegance as Jekyll and his menace and disgusting style as Hyde. He really had the audience feel uneasy with his control over Lucy with the murders and chaos all finally climaxing in a sensational finale for him in Confrontation. The lighting and minimal movement all allowed the vocals and the controlled poses to highlight the power struggle between his two traits.

I must give huge praise to Caroline Scott who, assisted by Producer Dan Brookes, directed this wonderful production. With multiple scene changes the show never lacked pace or intensity. Working with a very talented cast she created the setting for them all to shine, the plotting was perfect with each scene packed with colour and perfect character placement. For a small space the stage never looked crowded, instead it was just full of action and energy.

Having seen productions by the Youth section of Crash Bang Wallop before and knowing their high standards I did not know whether the adult section could match this. Well, I shouldn’t have doubted it for a moment as the Youth Section clearly have great role models within their ranks. This was a fantastic demonstration of intense drama, great musicality and a lovely example of storytelling. A huge thank you to everyone involved and I cannot wait to see what you have planned for 2026.

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