StoryHouse Live, Chester – until Saturday 19 October 2019
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
The year is 1886 and Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson publishes his novella dissecting the concept that the human psyche has a good and evil side, lapped up by the Victorians who were fascinated by the Gothic tales of macabre as a way of escaping the dark and dank times in which they lived. Fast forward over a hundred years and we find ourselves in a time where the term to have a Jekyll and Hyde personality has seeped its way into the English language. Countless reboots and reincarnations of Stevenson’s story exist and will continue to be rehashed and loved as much today as they were in 1886. It is safe to say that everyone knows and understands the ideal that the good doctor following on in all good scientists footsteps becomes tormented by the quintessentially evil monster within.
Storyhouse is a thoroughly modern theatre and for this performance they have used the thrust stage, which basically means the stage has been raised up to first floor level and the audience is sat surrounding the stage almost within touching distance. This brings the dark Victorian set closer, the audience has a feel as if we are witnessing an experiment within a medical theatre. The music is eerie yet compelling and this is before any action has begun. The lighting is darkly Victorian as are the costumes, from the older Lady Gabriel in her navy bustle dress to young Rose in her modern bright light travelling dress that has turquoise ribbon which enables her to raise the hem and, whoa, even show off her ankles. The good doctor has a snazzy golden waistcoat and as Mr Hyde often makes reference to his coat and boots after all a good coat and boots are everything a man about town would need. Yes there are only four characters and I can not praise the actors highly enough. Natasha Bain as the older Lady Gabriel, having lived life and long ago realised that experience means great thought into the consequences leads to her cutting ties with Dr Jekyll the dashing Edward Harrison, suave and sophisticated he enthrals those around with his theories of separating the soul of good and bad parts. Slow sinking into despair and anguish he looks dishevelled and quite likely sunken into the depths of madness, yet it is easy to mistake madness for greatness. His words and movements are compelling on stage. Mathew Flynn as Mr Hyde is a confusing character, you want to mistrust and even hate him as you know he is a monster but there’s a sense of fear about him perhaps even a vulnerability. Finally there is young dizzy Rose wonderfully portrayed by Rosa Hesmondhalgh, she hasn’t the clipped tones of London town but a west country accent that sings across the stage and breaks the monotony. She is the new generation, independent, curious and seeking answers. Wanting to see everything without fear for her own life despite being warned by the older characters.
What is interesting is that neither the story nor the setting has dated, as I’ve said it is compelling viewing. Amazingly if you view through modern eyes and think about those Victorian times, then the story makes perfect sense and how clever is this story written so long ago in a time when opium dens were rife and frequented by the masses, a time where Absinthe led to chasing the green fairy and Laudanum was freely used without thought for any consequences. Use what we now know about addiction and mental health and you will view the story as not a separation of the soul into good and evil but as the tormented parts of a soul. The good doctor is in fact the very evil Mr Hyde. We are left to conclude how Jekyll sunk to the depths of depravity or even if he survives, for it feels we have neither the beginning nor ending but the middle. This does not matter, it is an extremely entertaining yet darkly intriguing piece of theatre. Watching has highlighted Mental Health Week to me and would quite possibly be a great first step to any debates.