REVIEW | Jekyll and Hyde, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh

Written by Sarah

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

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Combining the suspense of a 'whodunnit' and the wit of a dark comedy, one-person play Jekyll and Hyde at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre, grips its viewers tight and doesn’t let go until its very final act. 

An adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella, Gary McNair’s Jekyll and Hyde loses nothing of the dread and violent terror of the original tale, or familiar key themes of good and evil and light and darkness. Still, it allows its own space for contemporary discussion. 

And at the centre of the show is a brilliant portrayal… or shall we say… portrayals. 

Veteran actor Forbes Masson immediately captivates his audience as the novella’s narrator Gabriel John Utterson ("I'm not the good guy", he announces to us, rather sceptically, at the start of the show), with brilliant direction by Michael Fentiman, taking us on a 70-minute journey that spirals and spirals, until reaching a last-minute twisty conclusion.

Masson is an absolute thrill to watch, and his professionalism is apparent, especially in his convincing voice and costume shifts between characters (there are many!)

Set and lighting design [Max Jones, Richard Howell] are both simple and unfussy — a black box and a few free-standing lights — but strikingly effective in creating a bleak film-noir-esque atmosphere with plenty of moody shadows, and further strengthening Masson's storytelling abilities.

A tense and truly immersive piece of theatre!

At Royal Lyceum Edinburgh until 27 January 2024.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆