Jekyll and Hyde (NHB Modern Plays)

By Robert Louis Stevenson

A series of random nocturnal assaults in the back streets and alleyways of Victorian London are spreading fear and panic. Meanwhile, the friends of a highly respected doctor are beginning to wonder why he goes missing on exactly the same nights…
Neil Bartlett's inventive, brilliantly theatrical adaptation cuts right to the heart of Robert Louis Stevenson's darkly fascinating tale of male violence, guilt and privilege.
It premiered at Derby Theatre in 2022, directed by Artistic Director Sarah Brigham, before transferring to Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. Written for an ensemble and with several key roles for women, this adaptation will appeal to any theatre or company looking to thrill their audiences with a bold new take on this classic tale of murder and mayhem.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Oct 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781788506229

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born on 13 November 1850, changing his second name to ‘Louis’ at the age of eighteen. He has always been loved and admired by countless readers and critics for ‘the excitement, the fierce joy, the delight in strangeness, the pleasure in deep and dark adventures’ found in his classic stories and, without doubt, he created some of the most horribly unforgettable characters in literature and, above all, Mr. Edward Hyde.

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Reviews for Jekyll and Hyde (NHB Modern Plays)

[martialalex92 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Pretty underwhelming. Even during the "big reveal" he tells the whole story from his current perspective which kind of ruins any ability to do something interesting with the narrator.

[missbrangwen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novella was very different from what I had expected it to be. I must admit that reading it was a bit laborious to me because well, like most people I already knew the solution to the mystery (although I only knew the barest facts), and the story is a little slow, so I basically waited for something interesting to happen. In spite of that, the actual solution - in its details - did surprise me, and I found the ending to be very chilling. It actually gave me the creeps, and I did not expect that from this story. It was worth the read for the last one or two pages alone.

[dste_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A strange, deformed man haunts the streets, trampling over fallen children and seemingly wresting money from the good Dr. Jekyll to escape the consequences of his misdeeds. Jekyll has even gone so far as to make this mysterious Mr. Hyde the sole benefactor of his will, against all advice from Mr. Utterson, his lawyer. Utterson suspects blackmail, and he's determined not to rest until he's helped his dear friend and client escape with his life. For surely, he thinks, Hyde must be tempted to murder Jekyll in order to usurp him. Utterson doesn't know how right he is, though not at all in the way that he suspects.The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic horror novel, and one that has been referenced so often in modern culture that I knew its biggest secret going in. For me, the surprises and the appeal were in discovering the way in which the story was told. Much of the plot involves watching Mr. Utterson and others slowly uncovering the mystery, and, for me, this resulted in a very interesting dramatic irony. I knew exactly what the characters were missing, but I didn't know all the twists and turns of the plot, how the characters would react to them, or how the story would reach its end. For me, this was enough to maintain interest, and I think other readers would have a similar experience if they have only a surface-level knowledge of the plot.This is a short book, certainly a quick read, and I found it to be a good example of British literature of the nineteenth century. Characters’ physical descriptions are meant to signify aspects of their personalities, houses and the weather are likewise described with obvious symbolism, the omniscient narrator tells you what the characters are like, and the characters have over-the-top reactions whenever anything remotely horrifying happens. Because of this, combined with how easy it is to read, I think it would make a great introductory book for anyone looking to get into British classics from the same time period without immediately jumping in the deep end.I also found it interesting as a window into the past, seeing how people lived and spoke and how they told their stories. I would recommend it if you have a similar interest, or if, somehow, you actually don't know the secret behind this particular mystery. If that's the case, I recommend you go out and read it right now. You're sure to have an experience worth talking about.

[electrascaife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A reread for me, but it had been long enough that I was ready to revisit it while Charlie read it for the first time for his ELA class. It's funny how so many of these kinds of classic stories, when appropriated for movies and TV, take on a completely different life and end up looking not much at all like their originals. But it's not at all surprising is that it's the stories with such potential for carrying higher truths that get this treatment - this is what myths do (function as vehicles for every new teller's message), and in that way stories like Jekyll and Hyde are very close to belonging to a kind of mythology. So, although I like Treasure Island loads more, I still appreciate the qualities inherent in this one.

[lara335 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What was going on in the 1880s to produce not only The Strange Case but also Dorian Gray? Victorian repression?This gets an extra * because it’s a Classic that has inspired lots of films, but it made for a dull read - because I knew the mystery, and largely because it is told rather than shown, and the characters are so sketchily drawn that I wasn’t engaged. The story is mostly related by a Mr Utterson, who is concerned about his friend Dr Jekyll. Off stage a child is attacked and a man murdered. Then eventually Utterson breaks into Jeykll’s laboratory & reads Jeykll’s own account of what he had been experimenting with. Jeykll made a potion that could separate his good character from his bad: he could plod with respectability then dive into a sea of freedom, conscience free.For me, the most moving part of the novel was a throwaway sentence, setting the scene, of ragged children huddling in doorways, so much for Victorian respectability.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is an 1886 publication.What a strange case, indeed! This classic tale of horror is one that, of all the old movies, like Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein and all their various incarnations, I watched repeatedly growing up, I just didn’t really care for all that much. I did, later in life, watch a movie version of this tale starring Spencer Tracey, and an all- star cast, which was petty good. Still, when it came to reading the book, unless it was a classroom assignment, I don’t think I ever volunteered read it, and if I did read it somewhere back there, I honestly couldn’t recall it, which is why I decided to select it for my classic horror Halloween read, this year. Everyone knows the setup for this short story. A scientist, Dr. Jekyll, is resentful of having to repress the darker side of his nature and happens across a solution- one that allows him to express this side of himself by becoming, through the aid of ‘medication’, Mr. Hyde. People who encounter this Mr. Hyde is put off by him, and do not understand his hold over the respectable and well-liked, Dr. Jekyll. As the good doctor proceeds with his experiments, he discovers he is almost addicted to his alter ego- who is gradually becoming the dominant personality and becoming more and more dangerous with each passing day. This is one horror/sci-fi story, one could find all manner of allegory, making it one of the more thought-provoking tales of this genre. My mind went to the duality of people who often present one face in public, hiding their baser inclinations, exposing false morality, and hypocrisy. Other themes are centered around the Victorian era itself, and some of the current political climate- a less obvious theme, in my opinion, but not to be dismissed. Naturally, one could also go with the classic good vs evil trope-or even a more profound nod at spiritual warfare- as the good side of ourselves continually does battle with the dark side, and the fear that our darker impulses will win out in the end. Bottom line- All these possible themes make sense, and they each give readers a great deal to chew on, so that the book is not just a horror novel, but a classic in many other ways as well. Overall, I’m pleased I chose this novella to read this year. I’d considered it many times in the past, but always vowed to read it ‘next’ year. Now, I wish I had not waited so long!! 5 stars

[tobinelliott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't imagine why it's taken me until now to read this novel, but it has.

Obviously I'd been missing something wonderful.

Can't say what I'd expected before starting—likely a somewhat trashy pulp type novel. Instead, I got a gorgeously written introspective story of a highly tortured protagonist. Fantastic stuff.

As a side note, after reading this, it becomes very clear where Stan Lee came to borrow ideas for the Hulk character.

[michael5rimmer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This struck me as less about the conflict of good and evil in a person's soul, and more about Victorian bourgeois hypocrisy.Prior to Jekyll's transformation, he uses the shield of medical respectability to indulge his unnamed, and therefore probably sexual, vices (the other main vices of Victorian England, gambling and alcohol, not being unnameable), and had already been leading a double life.His potion, Jekyll says, has the potential to emphasise either the "good" or "evil" traits of the personality, in his Case unleashing Hyde due to his preexisting affinity for wickedness. Before the transformation, Jekyll had to hide this part of his life; as Hyde he is both more concealed and more visible to "polite society", which is more concerned with appearances than substance. Although we don't get to follow Jekyll or Hyde into the world of their indulgences, it is likely that the people of that echelon of society better knew the quality of Henry Jekyll, and were of old acquainted with the qualities, if not the figure, of Edward Hyde.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A short book. At first it does not reveal the connection between Jekyill & Hyde. It is only revealed near the end. Very well done classic.

[varwenea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end."I think my first exposure of the story “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” might have been via Bugs Bunny. Look it up; it’s called “Hyde and Hare”. ^_^This novella is fairly straight forward and its tale well known. Even so, I had not known or considered several tidbits prior to reading it which buttoned up the story nicely. Some are:- The story is told in the third person, from the view point of a friend and lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who was initially puzzled by the strange occurrences and later actively investigated the strange occurrences associated with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.- Becoming Hyde was a “high” for Jekyll. (I can’t tell if a pun is intended here by Stevenson.) Despite the disfigurement, Hyde was youthful. Hyde’s lack of restraints became a drug and turned Jekyll into an addict, an addiction of the physical and mental freedoms that Hyde represented and provided. Like any addiction, it’s difficult to quit. (The line “I wish I could quit you” entered my mind.)- The timeline is over many years though the focus is one to two years. Jekyll’s initial optimism led him to spend part of his time planning for Hyde replacing himself including updating his will, so he can extend his life in the new youthful form, that is until he realizes Hyde is violent as well as eventually losing control of his alternate self. - No one, absolutely no one connected Jekyll and Hyde as one. The revelation was thusly shocking! Many books used father and son as a relationship comparison. Stevenson did also. This passage explains well the relationship between the two using father and son terms. “…My two natures had memory in common, but all other faculties were most unequally shared between them. Jekyll (who was composite) now with the most sensitive apprehensions, now with a greedy gusto, projected and shared in the pleasures and adventures of Hyde; but Hyde was indifferent to Jekyll, or but remembered him as the mountain bandit remembers the cavern in which he conceals himself from pursuit. Jekyll had more than a father’s interest; Hyde had more than a son’s indifference…” One aspect that somewhat irked me (or perhaps to say it didn’t age well), is the stereotype that ‘good’ people are good looking, and evil people are grotesque. This physicality difference is part of Stevenson’s explanation on the duality of men and the irony that the good covets the pleasures of his dark side. I know, I know, it’s the evil within oneself, blah, blah. I thought it was heavy handed. “…it came about that Edward Hyde was so much smaller, slighter, and younger than Henry Jekyll. Even as good shone upon the countenance of the one, evil was written broadly and plainly on the face of the other. Evil besides (which I must still believe to be the lethal side of man) had left on that body an imprint of deformity and decay. And yet when I looked upon that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome. This, too was myself. It seemed natural and human. In my eyes it bore a livelier image of the spirit, it seemed more express and single, than the imperfect and divided countenance I had been hitherto accustomed to call mine…” I object to it in the sense that society today still rewards those who are better looking, taller, muscular, sometimes over the talented or of lesser physicality, even though all are capable of evil.

[wickenden-285487 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this some time ago but can barely remember the text. I'm going to read it again.

[eurohackie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Talk about having one hell of a midlife crisis, LOL.This story is absolutely fantastic! I loved the structure of it, built as a mystery slowly unfolding, sucking all of our characters into the strange world of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the climax, and the denouement that explains all. It's interesting, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. I gobbed it up in one sitting.I've grown up with the pop culture variations on the theme so was well aware of the basic story, but I like all of the original elements - like how Mr. Hyde is a dwarfish, ugly little creature instead of a huge monster, and how the drug that Jekyll was taking was actually impure, and that was the magical ingredient, though he discovered it too late. Mr. Hyde was basically pure id let loose; too bad Dr. Jekyll's id was pure evil. He indulged it to the ultimate breaking point, to his detriment when he was suddenly turning into Mr. Hyde without the help of the drugs, and had to use the drugs to get back to his original self. Mr. Hyde murders a high-ranking MP, and when Dr. Jekyll can't return to his original form, he kills himself under the guise of Mr. Hyde.The questions of 'two selves' and the battle between good and evil, not to mention aging and regret, are all touched upon here. There's a lot packed into this little story and it is a lot of fun.

[baswood · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mister Hyde] - Robert Louis StevensonFirst published in 1886 as a penny dreadful and subsequently filmed many times Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde will be familiar to many readers. The idea of a dual personality: one inherently good and one inherently evil inhabiting one body and the battle between the two certainly fired the publics imagination and it was an immediate success. I came to read as part of my progress through victorian novels that contain the seeds of science fiction. This book does more than contain the seeds it gave vent to a sub-genre all of its own; the crazy scientist working in secret on a potion that will enhance his life in some drastic faction, but has unfortunate side effects. Jules Verne's Doctor Ox published in 1872 had a comparable theme and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Doran Grey published in 1891 arguably developed the idea, but these both had elements of humour to lighten the reading: Stevenson's book has about as much humour as Scottish bagpipes. It is dark and gothic in a way that gives a nod to the literature of Edgar Allan Poe.It is a novella in length with the final third being epistolary in form and although it is Victorian and gothic there is a tightness to the writing. The mystery moves smartly forward with Stevensons characterisation's adding to the feeling of unease that the author generates. It is a story revelling in its maleness, the only female character in an unnamed maid who witnesses a murder. It is written as a mystery and so the insights into the characters of Jekyll and Hyde are only revealed in the fairly long denouement. Mr Utterson the protagonist is by his own admission dull, but trustworthy and he is aided by his cousin Richard Enfield said to be a man about town but gives little evidence of it. The focus of the story is on the mystery of Jekyll and Hyde and I think this is why it succeeds so well along with its exploration into the murky dualities of Victorian men.It is little more than an afternoons read and it might surprise people who have only seen the movie versions. I enjoyed it and so 4 stars.

[james_patrick_joyce · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was not a fan of this book.

Dry, boring, focused on details that aren't directly relevant and... it was dull. Lifeless. When the main bad guy becomes hunted, he just disappears. Poof. No thrills, just... consternation. Yawn.

This isn't a bashing of classics. I've enjoyed many pre-20th century novels and stories. Some didn't work on me, while others did. This one didn't.

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Everyone knows the outline of the story, so I'll bypass that. As with "Frankenstein" the novel is less horror and more philosophical than all the various film versions that have been made. Stevenson speculates that all people have both good and evil within them, and we all have a base nature that would secretly like to release the evil side, our more carnal desires, if only we could release that side with impunity, and without losing our good side. But, in releasing our baser instincts we automatically lose our more admirable traits, making it a slippery slope, when we give in to what we know is wrong, but desire all the same.The first two thirds of the book were moderately entertaining as a novel. The final third, the resolution, was pretty much pure philosophical pondering.

[comfypants · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A scientist is somehow connected with an unsavory man.2.5/4 (Okay).The last chapter, which is Jekyll's account of the story from beginning to end, is pretty good. The rest of the book is driven by suspense, which of course is nonexistent to a modern reader. "Gee, who could this Hyde fellow be? How ever could the good Dr. Jekyll have become associated with a monster like him, I wonder?"

[mike_b-645943 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde reference is so common in our culture that I thought I knew the story. The story is so much more than I expected.

[aehotchkiss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Did not pick up this book until well in my 30s, despite its place in popular culture for over a century. A fantastic short read - took me a minute to connect the dots of who was who and how they knew each other but would highly recommend this classic to anyone looking for an interesting piece of sci-fi written before the 20th century.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this using my Serial reader app and I was really happy with it!

I knew it was a classic, and, much like classics, it was a book that I'd always meant to read, or intended to read but never actually read.

I loved the atmosphere that Stevenson created. His somehow empty, foggy, cacophonous London was brought to life. I didn't find the language too hard or difficult to follow at all, which surprised me. I liked the tension for the majority of the novel -- Stevenson crafted tension through letters, confessionals and those late-night walks around London where all sorts of horrors happen.

I didn't care too much for the characters, but I definitely admired the author's writing, his language and how accessible the book is after all this time.

Even though I knew the ending, I still found it readable and hope you do too. c:

[scottcholstad · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic later surpassed by many but at the time, very original and quite good.

[samantha100_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Elegantly told and suspenseful, this classic story certainly stands the test of time. I read the Keynotes Classics edition. I especially appreciated the introductory key written by Michelle M. White. She provides interesting information about the author and offers valuable suggestions about what to look for in the story. As a result, I believe I got much more from this reading than I did when I first read it. Highly recommended.

[shahnareads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One of those 'classics' on everyones to be read lists.
It's alright.

[readingover50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am watching the new season of Penny Dreadful and they are featuring Dr. Jekyll this year. I realized I have never read this book, so I decided to pick it up in preparation for the show.

The writing feels very dense, and the pacing is slow. The reader slowly gets a feeling of dread, rather than outright scares. This is common with many of the horror stories of the period that I have read.

The story is interesting, with much musing on the nature of good and evil. It was a bit slower paced than I like, but this is a short book and easy to read in a day.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Along with FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA, this short novel makes up the holy triumvirate of early horror. It asks the question: What is the nature of man's soul? The answer is that we all have a dark side, a side without a conscience, that lives only for its own pleasure without regard for anyone else. This is the Mr. Hyde that emerges when Jekyll drinks his magic potion, and he repulses everyone he meets. As Jekyll discovers, if we give free reign to the Hyde imprisoned within us, he grows stronger and asserts himself more and more, until he threatens to take over entirely. Despite being afflicted by the usual Victorian floridness of language (some skimming required), DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE is a highly readable, if rather circuitous, story. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the evolution of the horror genre.

[chirikosan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book was okay. Too bad at only 40 pages, that I finished reading it in less than an hour. Would have wanted it to have been longer and the plot more developed.

[sometimeunderwater · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Bet this was a blitz before everyone and their kid knew the secret twist. A fine gothic novella, proceeding on railroad towards the ending you already knew was coming.

[williemeikle-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's not called a classic without good reason. It's an almost perfectly plotted short novel, all the parts complementing each other, all serving to build tension and anticipation. The good doctor is suitably tragic, Hyde is suitably degenerate and, despite having seen the multitude of adaptations over the years, it still feels remarkably fresh and modern. All of Stevenson's stylistic flourishes are on show, as well as his rarely bettered storytelling ability. I'd give it six stars if I could.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“... that man is not truly one, but truly two.”The idea that we all have a dark side? Well, certainly the main character of this story does! Dr. Henry Jekyll meets/creates/releases Edward Hyde, “The evil side of my nature,...”, and is not the same for it! It's a quick read, well except for the last chapter that draaaaags on, and an important story in the history of "horror" literature, so I'm glad I read it! Not scary by today's standards, but still a freaky idea and one that has been repeated often! I wonder which of my two halves would be the dominant one? Or do I have more than two? Hmm...

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a re-read of this classic 19th century novella which has been the inspiration behind so many spin-offs since. It is a taut and atmospheric piece of writing, and the conclusion that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same, two sides of the same being, only becomes evident near the end - it is hard for us to understand how this would have shocked and thrilled the reader in 1886, so familiar has the Jekyll and Hyde motif become.

[starla_aurora · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

interesting... not what I remember from 15 yrs ago. that's what happens with memory and Hollywood influence.