We've all know the general premise of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in some form or another, but this performance not only told the story of the evil in humanity, but actively brought the audience into it. This was a tense performance from the start, as James Hyland, as Dr Jekyll, gives a lecture to a room of fellow surgeons about human nature, but on another level, he invites the audience into his gripping story - and makes them complicit in his crimes.
Despite there being only one man on the stage, it felt as though multiple characters were in the room with us. Hyland's transformations between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde were thrilling to watch, his physical acting brought each character to life: the prim and proper doctor with an unsettling edge, the terrifyingly murderous man who visits him, and the petrifying merging of personalities, as we realise that there was only one man all along - a realisation that we knew was coming, and yet still had the audience on the edge of their seats. Hyland is able to conjure up vivid images with only a lectern as a prop, inciting visceral reactions to violent acts which weren't even truly visible. Hair-raising nursery rhymes, sudden accent shifts, and maniacal movements with a surgical knife thoroughly immersed the audience in this horror-esque performance.
Whilst the acting itself was a fright to behold (in a good way), the story too was full of depth and layers. Hyland blends the tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with an interesting commentary about today's society, forcing us to consider how, whilst we blame our vices on outside influences, we all have an innate capacity to do bad deeds. Real life examples of Jack the Ripper serve to cleverly prove his point. He holds up a mirror to the audience, and to society, in a dramatic ending that leaves you pondering the human experience.
Find more info/tickets here: https://www.brotherwolf.org.uk/theatre-performances
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