Reviewed by Beth at Derby Theatre
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
Students of the University of Derby have this week taken on Evan Placey’s Jekyll and Hyde. The play provides a response to Robert Louis Stevenson’s original novella, set in two worlds between Victorian England and modern day. It is a kind of sequel centred on Hattie Jekyll following the death of her husband as she strives to continue the work her husband started, exploring the duality of man. Through the play, the societal constraints of women are explored as well as the power of an online presence to spread radicalism. It is a play that in itself presents some radical ideas and questions whether acts of violence can ever be justified.
Act One of the story begins with a rousing speech by a tiger-tamer at a circus, in this version played by Jodie Hobbs. Hobbs does a fantastic job of setting an uneasy tone, making the audience feel on edge from the beginning with their eery use of voice and body. We are then introduced to Harriet Jekyll, played by Evie Lockley.
Jekyll has been widowed around a year ago and is striving to continue the scientific experiments begun by her husband. Early in the first act, Jekyll meets with a group of women’s rights activists, including a rousing speech by Josephine, played by Katherine Brayshay, in which the constraints on women during Victorian England (and indeed modern day) are highlighted. As we see more of the lives of these women, we also learn more about historical attacks on women including the Contagious Disease Act that presumes women guilty for the transmitting of sexual diseases. This wasn’t an act I was familiar with and so I found it interesting to learn more about its despicable history. Jekyll battles patriarchal structures like that of the scientist’s guild who refuse to support her in continuing her studies. We see female rage build and build before becoming totally personified in her alter-ego, Hyde, who becomes hell bent on seeking justice through violent means. We see her transformation through a simple costume reveal; the use of red to show danger and bloodshed but perhaps not quite the dramatic transformation you would expect despite some impressive physical theatre by Lockley.
Around half way through Act One, the illusion of Victorian England is broken by the arrival of a character in modern dress on their laptop on stage, who we later discover to be Florence, a 21st century young women who has been writing ‘fan fiction’ of Jekyll and Hyde to promote her own feminist ideology on an online blog. For me, having this character appear silently half way through was jarring as an audience member and whilst I understand the metatheatrical decision, I feel it would have been better to have the character present on stage from the play’s beginning or not until the end of Act One, where her involvement is revealed as the character is arrested.
Act two, then, focuses predominantly on the modern day, where Florence is questioned by the police about her Jekyll and Hyde play and her involvement with a female terror group who are committing murder and violent acts, seemingly inspired by Florence’s story. Mia Creasey gives a strong and nuanced performance as Florence, swaying back and forth from enraged young women to seemingly innocent, scared teenager. Act two questions whether violence as a response to violence is ever okay, and who exactly is to blame when violent acts are incited online. Where I think this script struggles though is it’s almost promotion of radical, terror-related thoughts. It doesn’t strike a balance between sides and instead the extremist group becomes successful at the play’s conclusion, verbally comparing Florence’s actions to those of Emmeline Pankhurst. As a proud feminist myself, I felt incredibly uncomfortable about the acts of these women despite the highlighting of some very real women’s issues, and felt there needed to be more exploration throughout the story of why this response was equally violent and unacceptable.
The University of Derby students did a good job retelling what was, for me, not compelling source material. The set design included some impressive technical design and a multi-levelled set served well to highlight both the dual time periods and the duality of man itself. The lighting and sound design was slick and impactful in changing atmospheres whether that be the rowdy Victorian pub, dark laboratory or prison interview room.
At times, the set changes were not quite as polished as they might have been but aside from this, there certainly gave the impression of a professional level performance. Many of the performances were strong; Ben Sanders and Emma Penny playing DCI Renford and DC Williams in Act Two particularly stood out to me and provided characters speaking sense despite their own personal struggles which were related with skill.
The play asks some interesting questions of the morality of its audience, but for me it’s message is in itself questionable and the source material’s execution lacking. I applaud The University of Derby’s efforts in delivery and urge you to see the show and make up your own mind about Evan Placey’s response to Jekyll and Hyde.
Jekyll and Hyde plays at Derby until Saturday 24th May 2025. Tickets are available from https://derbytheatre.co.uk/event/jekyll-hyde/
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