Ruview: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Written by Jordan Davies
“Did you see The Picture of Dorian Gray?”
If you hear this in reference to Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it means someone’s expectations are higher than Kacey Musgraves. Which is a huge testament to the Sydney Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Kip Williams, who adapted and directed both Dorian Gray and this latest feat of creative excellence, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
The story of Jekyll and Hyde, in case you haven’t pissed away thousands of dollars doing a Bachelor of Arts or seen the 2003 cinematic masterpiece The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is a gothic (“spooky”) classic (“old book”) by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886.
It’s the story of a lawyer named Gabriel Utterson who has concern for his mate, Henry Jekyll, who’s been, like, acting a little weird lately, sending strange texts, blowing off Bondi Swim Club etc. It’s a little odd, and Utterson suspects it might have something to do with the mysterious new torso he’s seen on the apps.
But the truth is that Jekyll, an entrepreneurial doctor in the pre-MDMA days, has gone full Breaking Bad and started cooking his own drugs. Unfortunately, Jekyll’s school never got a visit from Healthy Harold to warn him of the negative effects of drug abuse – unseemly behaviour, gnarly come downs and powerful, life-threatening addiction – so he takes to the party life like an early-2000s Lindsay Lohan. He’s at Universal on Friday night, PD on Saturday night, straight to the sauna, Day wash – the whole bit. It becomes such a lifestyle that he even gives himself a drag name, Mr Edward Hyde – and therein lies the drama…
It’s 2022, so while I feel like we’ve been conditioned by Marvel® to want over-the-top plot twists and stunt casting to make the experience feel impactful, this play focuses on the storytelling. The language, the performance, the theatrics and the use of technology work perfectly together to make this two-man show feel ominous and enormous.
Even the fat kid behind me who kicked my chair for almost the entire show didn’t pull me away from the stage. Matthew Backer and Ewen Leslie are freaks, and you learn why pretty early on. Their stamina is almost as supernatural as the story itself and alongside an incredible stage crew, keep you mesmerised for the entire running time of 1hr 50 mins.
I remember looking around pretty early on, and the entire theatre was completely transfixed by all that was happening on stage. It was pretty incredible, and I’m purposefully holding back on details because I want you to feel the same thrill I did.
In summary: I don’t think you wanna be the person who missed Dorian Gray and Jekyll and Hyde.