★★★★
Once more juggling multiple parts, James Hyland ironically shouts “Man is truly two not one,” as he tackles Stevenson’s familiar Gothic classic Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. After he has proven his skill in Highgate’s Upstairs at The Gatehouse, Hyland now takes his turn with The White Bear Theatre. With nothing but a lectern, his raspy voice and some truly acrobatic transformations, it’s always a marvel to see how quickly he grabs the attention of the whole room.
Hyland puts Stevenson’s short story back to front. Using a medical lecture on the duality of humankind, where we theatre goers are supposedly his esteemed audience, Dr Jekyll unveils the miraculous drug that turns someone into their worst self. This reversal makes the notorious unveiling of Stevenson’s Mr. Hyde, with his maniacal and devilish temperament, all the more potent.
By putting the psychological horror of Stevenson’s short story on full and minimizing the Victorian set, Hyland achieves a dark, twisted and claustrophobic proximity with his audience. It’s a choice that suits both the material and the space as, in this small Kennington theatre, you are never too far away from the actors anyway.
Tension is maximised two-fold. At first, Hyland doesn’t mind getting too close for comfort. He will happily make any of the front row jump and pull some of strangest face contortions whilst only a foot away. Secondly, Jekyll’s inner torment dramatically builds up both in pace and intensity over time. The savage conclusion to this scientist’s experiment feels inevitable, avoidable and perverse but we are glued to Hyland, fascinated whilst simultaneously disgusted.
Perhaps it’s the material that is so suitable for Hyland’s style. Once insignificant details of set, costume and lighting are cast aside, the momentum of this adaption feels spot on. Lighting is kept to white light that carves a constant space for a shadow at the back of stage which is utilised for effect. After all this story is obsessed with a vulgar game of hide and seek with Mr. Hyde. Embellishments like Sound or music, apart from music to bring up and down the curtain, aren’t needed in this razor-sharp production.
Ultimately, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at The White Bear Theatre is a fearless and empowered production that understands the strength of its source material. In stripping the story back to its core, it delivers a haunting exploration of repression, desire, and the terrifying ease with which one can slip into darkness.
Words by Harry Speirs
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.