Tag Archives: Zach Lee

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde 

★★★★★

Wilde Theatre, Bracknell

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell

Reviewed – 18th September 2020

★★★★★

 

“a taut psychological drama that is both true to the period whilst remaining vivid and accessible to contemporary viewers”

 

The theatrical flame was burning brightly again at Bracknell’s South Hill Park last night. Their Wilde Theatre reopened for one night only for a stylish and thrilling live and live-streamed performance of ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde’.

This revival is the work of resident company, Blackeyed Theatre, and was written by its excellent Director, Nick Lane. The recording is also to be made available on demand to schools with full support materials via blackeyedtheatre.co.uk.

Robert Stevenson’s 100 page novella has been adapted into over 120 films and plays. Over 100 years since it was written, it continues to inspire new creativity and to feature on school syllabuses. Put out of your head the schlock horror of some of those earlier film versions. This is a taut psychological drama that is both true to the period whilst remaining vivid and accessible to contemporary viewers.

The show opens as the lights go up on Victoria Spearing’s cleverly expressive set. The back wall is washed in red light and a jumble of piled up cupboards functions equally well as the laboratory where Dr Jekyll carries out his wild experiments or the morgue where Mr Hyde’s victims are inspected.

Some elegantly spare writing for piano by Tristan Parkes sets the mood in the first few moments. He was musical director for both the Beijing and London Olympic Games and his fine score is consistently satisfying. New to the show is the impressive Blake Kubena as both Jekyll and Hyde. He was well-cast, both physically and for his nuanced interpretation. He cuts quite a thrilling dash as the ‘twisted’ scientist who transforms in a moment into the utterly amoral Hyde. The story’s black and white moral core is plain.

Zach Lee nicely reprised his role as lawyer Utterson. His ‘period’ clipped delivery and precise movements were shared by other supporting characters, in particular Ashley Sean-Cook as Lanyon who also has some touching scenes with Paige Round as his wife. She sang some delightful songs and like all the other members of the cast seemed to inhabit her several roles with conviction.

Jekyll’s Faustian pact must damn him forever. But will his friends be drawn in or abandon him as his life unravels? That is the heart of this exciting and recommended story.

 

 

Reviewed by David Woodward

Photography by Alex Harvey-Brown

 


The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.

Click here for planned tour dates for the show.

 

Last ten shows reviewed by David:
The Importance Of Being Earnest | ★★★★ | Watermill Theatre Newbury | May 2019
Assassins | ★★★★★ | Watermill Theatre Newbury | September 2019
The Mousetrap | ★★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | October 2019
The Nutcracker | ★★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | November 2019
What’s In A Name? | ★★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | November 2019
Ten Times Table | ★★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | January 2020
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story | ★★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | February 2020
The Last Temptation Of Boris Johnson | ★★★½ | Theatre Royal Windsor | February 2020
The Black Veil | ★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | March 2020
The Wicker Husband | ★★★★★ | Watermill Theatre Newbury | March 2020

 

Click here to see our most recent reviews

 

Jekyll

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde 

Greenwich Theatre

Reviewed – 4th October 2017

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 

“the company didn’t fall back on clichéd tactics to define Hyde”

 

 

A little like the play itself I found myself this evening exhibiting two distinct personalities. My quiet Jekyll was trying to enjoy the show, my barely contained Hyde was seething at four back rows of teenagers whispering loudly, rustling sweeties and reacting noisily to each stage of the story, drowning out the next piece of dialogue for rest of the tutting audience.

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Before I even begin this review I need to acknowledge and praise the cast from Blackeyed Theatre for carrying on regardless. A responsive audience is a wonderful thing for an actor, although this was borderline distracting, even I found it irritating and I am used to rooms full of children!

The production however was able to pull my attention back to stage. The set was simple, a screen of period pine dressers and doors to hide away character and costume changes, with a table and chairs moved carefully around to alter each scene. This allowed the play to be character focused and as a four player piece they did it very well.

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel there is a back story to the well known abbreviated ‘monster’ version we have all seen too many times before. Director Nick Lane has adapted it for stage while remaining true to the original book, something I for one appreciate.

The first half of the play introduces Dr. Jekyll, an ailing man in Victorian London. His illness is not disclosed but its physical effect is well portrayed by Jack Bannell, and reveals a man frustrated at his limitations.

Jekyll’s determination to study the mind physically is revealed. In an era where asylums were overflowing the need for further understanding and hopeful cures were the Holy Grail of the day. Yet the idea that personality and brain may not be separate was not common thinking. In the late 1800’s Jekyll’s chosen area of research was both new and exciting as well as highly taboo.

Jekyll’s old university friend, Hastings Lanyon, played by Ashley Sean-Cook, is the Victorian moral compass of the piece. He struggles to understand his colleagues ambitions and is angered by his willingness to twist the Hippocratic oath.

Gabriel Utterson, played by Zach Lee, narrates the majority of the story through either directly addressing the audience, or in conversation with Jekyll who expects total support from his friend and lawyer, due to his sister’s own mental breakdown.

But by the time we reach the interval, Jekyll has reached an impasse, with little support from friends and having to cease experiments on rats and humans, he is driven to use himself to test his formulas on. Here the devilish Mr Hyde is born. In the second half the battle between the now split personality of Jekyll and Hyde continues its destructive path, making victims of strangers and friends, breaking bodies and relationships.

With no variance in costume, I liked that the company didn’t fall back on clichéd tactics to define Hyde, instead the metamorphosis of the sedate Dr Jekyll into an angry, violent Hyde is cleverly represented purely through body language, stance, voice and swagger.

Throughout Paige Round is very convincing as Eleanor Lanyon, a woman torn between awe of what Jekyll may achieve and fear of losing the man she loves. She assists and enables much of Jekyll’s work and is soon the only person aware of Hyde’s true identity. The power struggle between the two sides of the same man is fierce and suicidal, and murders it’s way towards the ultimate conclusion.

The story leaves you wondering how much of Hyde was the unleashing of a monster and what was simply the freeing of Victorian repression. Jekyll is an admired, amiable man, one who treats his servants well and refuses to admit or act on feelings he has for his friend’s wife. He is seemingly the opposite of Hyde who embraces anger and enjoys violence, does what he wants and considers people disposable.

Yet the sedate Jekyll was was passionate and unwavering in his beliefs, ignored advice, and was happy to illegally experiment on animals and people. Perhaps he is not so different to his alter ego after all.

A pleasant adaptation of a classic story, well worth a visit.

 

Reviewed by Joanna Hinson

Photography by Alex Harvey-Brown

 

 

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE

is at The Greenwich Theatre until 7th October

 

 

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