Jekyll & Hyde

by Evan Placey, Robert Louis Stevenson

Everyone has another face they hide behind… A radical re-imagining by playwright Evan Placey of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale, where civilised society meets seedy Soho in a thrilling collision of Victorian England with the here and now. Written for the National Youth Theatre, and first performed by the company at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End in 2017, Jekyll & Hyde offers a full range of parts for schools and youth-theatre groups looking for a contemporary reinvention of a macabre classic. 'Intense, exciting... a bold reimagining' - WhatsOnStage 'Ambitious, angry, and intriguing, Evan Placey's radical adaptation transforms the familiar story into a discussion of powerfully resonant contemporary issues' - The Stage 'A topical. intelligent, thoughtful, feminist take on Robert Louis Stevenson's novella... rollicking good theatre – frank, uncompromising, fresh and often quite confrontational… an ensemble piece in that it forms a fine show case for the talents of every cast member' - Sardines Magazine

Genres: Plays, Drama

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2017

Reviews

[hawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this more feminist take on Jekyll and Hyde 😃 the historical and contemporary, blurring, layers of it.

I very much liked that sex worker, and LGBTQI, rights were integral to the women's rights movements in this reimagining, with very clear references to racial justice too. ✊🏾☂💖🌈

and the tiger tying it all together - a marker moved from occasional moment to moment, and significant player to player, throughout 😃🐯

brilliant energy! 😃🧡
I've generally loved the energy of the plays I've read by Evan Placey. there's often alot of humour, banter, twists and turns of conversation.
I think all of what I've read by him has been written for young people's theatre, and I can imagine that energy matching young actors well... and also them enacting it possibly better than older adults could. 🙂

I like the way he uses the set and physical action as well, generally, and specifically in this play... and that his general suggestions/recommendations as to how to physically enact the play, are coupled with quite alot of leeway for anyone staging it to make it their own. 🙂🧡



🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟


accessed as a paper book, published by Nick Hern Books.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this is only very loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, diverging significantly on even some of the most central themes of the novel. That being said, it's an extremely interesting, relevant play for the early twenty first century. This version is much more driven by the concerns of the #MeToo movement--which was center stage in global consciousness in 2017, in a way that it's unfortunately not as much in 2021 (going into 2022). In this version Dr. Henry Jekyll has died, and his widow (in Stevenson's novel he is unmarried) basically decides to carry on his research, perfecting the serum where he had failed, and transforming from mild-mannered Victorian widow Harriet Jekyll to Flossie Hyde, party girl and avenger of wronged women. Alongside this, in act II we have Florence Monroe, a college girl who is arrested for terrorism because an extremist feminist group called Fembot is using her words and story lines from her Jekyll and Hyde story as inspiration for attacking men. And this is really where the play diverges most substantially from the novel. Both Monroe and Hyde engage in violence for collective socio-political reasons--to correct inequality and punish men who have either wronged women through active negative policies or through the refusal to protect women. In a sense, it is the patriarchal terror of what the #MeToo movement and Women's Marches could have been--and I think there were some commentators who tried to demonize the Marchers as terrorists, in the same way BLM protestors have been unfairly demonized. But this is a major divergence from Stevenson's Hyde, who is id driven and gratifies his own worst impulses with no thought to anyone else. There is no social conscience there, unlike Placey's Monroe and Hyde, who both use violence in an attempt to protect others (and, to be clear, the play acknowledges that this is an ethically problematic position).
https://youtu.be/e3Wa5gaTwY0

[Eve Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Aureliana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Guys you don’t understand. I read this for my lamda, and the way this book pushes feminism in your face is so tilting for me. Bc the monologue i did as Florence (young woman) really made me want to punch the character. Because she kinda goes from hey, i didn’t commit this crime to ha feminism is great. Internet is great. My voice is heard and yay feminism

Also, the way this book flicks from Jekyll’s to Florence’s pov is really bad, bc both characters are arguing essentially that life sucks for them bc they’re a woman. But then Jekyll is is the 1800s so already its a lot worse than Florence’s life so when it switches, Florence is complaining but it makes her seem like a little bitch bc although what she is getting rn is bad, its still a lot better than Jekyll’s so she just seems so stupid and ungrateful.

But srsly, this book takes any and all chances to shove in your face that feminism is a thing. And sometimes the conversation is turned from something completely random to feminism ughhhhhhhhhhhh. Ok back to my stupid historical fiction (not a bad book jsut hard to get into)

[Benni Zev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes interesting and potent and other times virtue-signally and lacking incision, this play ultimately succeeds in its goal, the ending providing lots of nuance and ambiguity that leaves an enticing flavour in the mouth and genuinely makes you think. Not so scary or introspective, but more observant and satirical of the modern world, there are one or two fairly interesting monologues in here and some very interesting character dynamics - I particularly like the updated Mr Utterson and Jekyll relationship, his character also being very interesting - complicit in a broken society but wanting to be decent. Lots of catharsis and very explosive, this would be a very interesting play to see put on by a great group, whilst as an isolated text it remains an interesting and enjoyable read.

[Mya Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Wow, I was really bored at first and dreaded reading it, but the last half had me hooked, it was so interesting and I absolutely loved all the feminism in this story! It was the best part of it (and the main part ofc, but it focused less on it at the beginning cause it needed to set up the story). I love these women taking these systems down and finally standing up for justice. The duality between the story and the author, beautifully done, the end was sad because I wanted more but a perfect end. I can’t wait to make this come to life on stage but I wish I could also watch it from the audience.

[Sexy Dudeuk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful adaption. An insult to the novel. I hated the chorous of Men with Hyde as it makes it feel Hyde has minions when he is really working alone. Also towards the end they try to make Hyde a redeeming character but he is too evil to do so. It focuses too much on social commentary and the gothicness is lacking. The ending is rather anticlimactic, for me it fails to properly capture the spirit of the novel and the era and too loosely based on the novel. Worst stage version of the show ever.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really unique take on Stevenson's novella. Bartlett's play centers on Dr. Stevenson, the first female doctor in Victorian London, who investigates the case of the young girl trampled by Hyde at the beginning of the novella. She eventually traces the crime back to her older, well-respected colleague Dr. Jekyll. But she also finds that the upper-class men of Jekyll's circle have closed ranks around him, not just protecting Hyde but vicariously living his villainy.
https://youtu.be/-quSsA6CvF8

[Jose Paiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it because of the song and was not disappointed.
The way Stevenson builds up the story to make the reader understand the problem of the duality of a person and how that can affect not only how we act but how we perceive ourselves is masterful.
Plus, the way this story can fit in with most of the psychological problems that trouble the minds of basically anyone with a hard vice is something that presses the issue of evolving oneself to conquer the Hyde inside each one of us

[Evie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this play is amazing. I am doing this as my final performance on my acting course and I am so happy with this choice. I cant wait to start the production.
Amazing ending and story.
Incredible