Forbes Masson gives a one-person masterclass in this atmospheric adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Original Theatre’s Jekyll and Hyde is the latest in their roster of digital theatre titles and displays yet again their strong production values and ability to enhance storytelling through technology.
Recorded at Dundee Rep Theatre in Feb 2024, and directed by Michael Fentiman and Tristan McShepherd, Jekyll and Hyde loses none of its creepiness, set in a darkened space with one door framed in light (set design by Max Jones).
Richard Hammarton’s sound design adds ghostly notes and flourishes in the background of Masson’s performance, a performance of power and presence in which, he tells us early on, he is “not the hero”.
Writer Gary McNair brings the chills of psychological horror to the play without removing the punch of the original novella. Jekyll, whose life has been a cause of mystery, fear, and fright, in fully drawn from afar.
We know this man. We also know how and why he is drawn to the dark side as Hyde. The saint and the devil. The light and the dark. The good and the evil. The spotless and the sinful.
At just over an hour, Jekyll and Hyde has to build a sense of shivering, uneasy, and fright, and this production does that well, especially in the camera’s numerous close-ups.
Less successful are the medium shots in which Masson sometimes seems lost in the darkness, but what is important is the story and its intimacy with an audience, and this is achieves with ease thanks to Richsrd Howell’s lighting and McShepherd’s filming style.
Original Theatre’s online productions are definite highlights of watching theatre at home. Their films are available to rent individually, or you can purchase a site subscription to access all titles.
Jekyll and Hyde is now available at https://originaltheatre.com/productions/jekyll-hyde
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Image credit: Mihaela Bodlovic