The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Mark Stratford. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, London SE4 to 27 January 2024. 4****: William Russell.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Mark Stratford. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 to 27 January, 2024.

4****: William Russell.

“A classic horror story skilfully told.”

Stevenson’s tale of the conflict between good and evil has been turned by Mark Stratford into a gripping one man show. His performance held the theatre spell bound for the 75 minutes it took tell which is no mean feat. With a couple of chairs and some effective light changes he managed the transitions from good to bad seamlessly and also conjured up both the Scotland Yard policeman Newcomen and Jekyll’s friend Utterson who is determined to find the truth and is duly appalled by it. The piece follows the book closely in its construction and leaves to the imagination of the audience as opposed to the reader what Hyde gets up to. It is a model of what a one-person play should be and Stratford has taken it round the country since completing it in October 2022. Should he come your way be prepared to be scared – and entertained - by one of the greatest horror stories of all.

Cast

Mark Stratford – Jekyll, Hyde, Utterson & Newcomen.

Creatives

Lighting Design – Eddie Stephens