Darlington Hippodrome – until 2 November 2019
4****
This is not the normal frothy type of musical put on by the uber talented Darlington Operatic Society. But this darkly gothic tome by Frank Wildhorn (music) and Leslie Bricusse (book and lyrics) is highly suitable for this time of year.
I was lucky enough to attend both press nights so could observe both male leads and their very different interpretations of the role of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
On the first night we were treated to Julian Counds version of Dr Jekyll, he was good and excelled at his evil side. However, on the second night Luke Oldfield dominated the stage. He gave an excellent fully nuanced performance, unleashing his powerful voice in the dual role of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. This is the Moment with the transition, was so simple – just taking hair from a ponytail when good to having the hair down when bad – was handled skillfully by both and worked well. But again, Oldfield just pipped Cound to the post in the malevolent stakes with his powerhouse vocals
Sharing the role of Lucy Harris was Rhiannon Walker and Jessica Harrison. It’s impossible to pick who played this better because both were superb. The vocals were excellent and you really felt for the character. Bring on the Men was a standout piece, from the outstanding singing to the excellent staging and choreography by Director Joanne Hand. And Someone Like You was very moving, helping to flesh out the performance and give life to Lucy.
Unfortunately the script does not allow the character of Emma Carew to develop substantially, but Beth Hopper shines in the role of fiance. Her witty one liners and put downs make you warm to the character and Hoppers voice fills the auditorium, Once Upon a Dream was beautiful.
A special mention must go to Peter Robson who plays Simon Stride. He had a glorious voice and I’d like to see him in a lead role very soon.
The big ensemble numbers were great. The voices of the different cast members blended together really well, making their harmonies very powerful and memorable. The opening song, Façade, displayed the talent of several cast members straight away. The live band led by Steven Hood set the atmospheric background perfectly and, unlike my moans in the past, they weren’t too loud so didn’t drown out the singing. Alex Edwards lighting was subtle and complimented the set and beautiful costumes.
Jekyll and Hyde impresses with its technical aspects and immerses us into the classic, tragic, tale. Darlington Operatic Society have certainly outdone themselves this time