JEKYLL & HYDE - The Musical
Information
- Date
- 28th May 2022
- Society
- Dunstable Musical Theatre Company
- Venue
- The Little Theatre, Dunstable
- Type of Production
- Musical
- Director
- Christine Rayment
- Musical Director
- Joanna Smale
- Choreographer
- Lynette Driver
Two and half years in the making, this remarkable musical certainly deserved an airing, with the cast and crew giving their all to give us a truly memorable evening.
So good to see DMTC back in full force, albeit in a smaller venue, but this took nothing away from the production or the quality of the performances. The overall direction from Christine Rayment was clear and insightful.
The static set, with a small number of props allowing for reference to change of scene, suited the piece well, and allowed it to flow.
The lighting was suitable for the rather dark feel of the production, allowing for lighter moments when required, the lighting when Jekyll was talking to Hyde near the end was spectacular, the change from blue to red as the actor changed character was perfect.
Costumes were good overall, suitable for the era and the wearer.
A very difficult score, which the MD had obviously worked hard on with the cast, as it all sounded good, strong and strident where needed, but also soft and beautifully sung, which I appreciated. I liked the whispered pieces in Facade, very atmospheric but also very clear, with excellent diction. A shout out to accompanist and one man band, Edward Smale, who had worked magic to make the music sound as if there was a full orchestra there, not just a keyboard, very clever and effective. Congratulations Ed.
Now to the cast – Paul Ramsey (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde), gave an impeccable and contrasting portrayal of the two tortured men, musically a super interpretation, and some quick transfers from one character to the other made this a performance to remember. This Is the Moment stood out, expressive and moving. There was a distinct mad glitter in his eyes when the Edward Hyde character took over – very well done.
Katherine Knight (Emma Carew) gave us both strength and vulnerability, with her lovely voice and depth of understanding for the character – both delicate and forceful, with some amusing lines delivered well, making her an excellent foil to Dr Jekyll.
Ellie Fromow (Lucy Harris) gave a compelling but poignant portrayal of this tortured lady, I really felt her pain and anguish, again beautifully sung, so believable. A New Life was a real winner.
Matthew Allen (John Utterson) gave good support to Jekyll as his friend, and I thought he contrasted well with Jekyll.
Chris Young (Sir Danvers Carew) showed strength of character with Jekyll, and softness with Emma, a good characterisation.
Simon Stride (Alan Clarke), clearly showed his dislike of Jekyll, and his want for Emma. Alan’s facial expressions and demeanour never waver, even when the spotlight isn’t on him, a consummate actor.
I was impressed with the high standard of performance and presentation from a convincing cast, some light-hearted moments and some very dark moments with every other emotion in between – an excellent production and one which DMTC can be rightly proud of.
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