Review: The Even Stranger Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Old Red Lion Theatre

It was quite fortuitous that the opening night of The Even Stranger Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde took place on a day when central London had been largely grey, rainy and foggy, which evoked the atmosphere of the Victorian setting.  This retelling serves as a ‘sidequel’ to the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, and has new characters intersecting with established events in a fresh comedic spin.

It is a nice touch to have the audience personally welcomed and directed to the theatre by the actors (also co-writers and co-producers) Vita Fox and Grace Hussey-Burd in full costume and mannerism as Victorian gentlemen.  They play police detectives Fitzsimmons (Fox) and Pinkerton (Hussey-Burd), who must use all the skills learnt during their days of training at detective school to investigate a series of crimes committed by the brutal Mr Hyde. They interview a series of witnesses as they trace Mr Hyde across London and attempt to uncover what connection such a vile man could possibly have to the upstanding Doctor Jekyll. Some of the people they meet are familiar from the original story, some are entirely new with a different perspective on events; all memorably played by Hussey-Burd and Fox.

In a clever nod to the gothic horror origins of the story, the stage is initially in darkness except for one area ominously bathed in red.  We are then dramatically introduced to Mr Hyde through inventive use of a flashing torch to project her silhouette on the wall, accompanied by maniacal laughter and thunder.  The stage is largely empty, to provide ample room to manoeuvre, with only two chairs and three strategically placed baskets full of various costume props. Hussey-Burd and Fox’s matching detective outfits of grey trousers, white period shirts and colourful cravats, provide an effective canvas to adorn themselves with a variety of period-appropriate hats, scarves and glasses as they portray a broad range of other characters. They also deploy a range of accents, mannerisms and postures to enhance the different portrayals.

Although this is a comedy, Hussey-Burd and Fox wisely play the lead detectives (mostly) straight, with humour coming from their light engagement with the audience and stumbling over the investigation. By playing it straight they highlight the humour from the engaging array of more outwardly exaggerated individuals. This includes a pair of rough accented ‘simple’ commoners who use ever-expanding vocabulary as they articulately describe Hyde’s first assault, and upper-class accented sisters who are initially aghast at witnessing Hyde commit a second assault, before descending into coarse enthusiasm at the ensuing fight. The dialogue also draws laughs by mixing old Victorian phrases (many a “my good fellow”) with modern terms, as witnesses describe Hyde’s appearance as “urgh”.

Fox and Hussey-Burd are a fantastic double act, feeding off each other to generate a lot of laughs; often one will play a detective whilst the other switches to a secondary role, before they swap over for the next scene. In a very impressive extended sequence, they both switch rapidly between two different characters, breaking off and returning to different conversations, spinning in slow motion whilst they switch costumes. This generated well-deserved spontaneous applause, as did a later sequence where the pair delivered a fully synchronised monologue.

Hussey-Burd and Fox have produced an inventive and entertaining new take on the Jekyll and Hyde story, bringing a lot of laughter along the way, whilst remaining faithful to the spirit of Stevenson’s original.  This new interpretation will be very enjoyable for those familiar with the strange(er) case, as well as for those uncovering it for the first time.

Written and produced by: Grace Hussey-Burd and Vita Fox (Fox & Burd)

The Even Stranger Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has completed its run at the Old Red Lion Theatre