Jekyll & Hyde

Review by Richie Simpson.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Stowmarket Musical Theatre Company's debut production, ‘The Addams Family’, in 2025, I looked forward to their next foray into the world of "horror" musicals with anticipation. And after seeing ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, I can certainly say that SMTC knows how to put on a good show!

Although discovering that I am not a lover of the show itself, SMTC pulled out all the stops to provide a sense of the macabre atmosphere of Victorian London. For this musical to work it has to be big, with an imposing set and excellent special effects. We were immediately introduced to the multi-levelled set and that gave a real sense of the darkness of the story, with tunnels, high platforms and a clever design. The set cleverly juxtaposed the unattainable and distant upper class London, with the near and seemingly depraved London that we associate with this story - but as we find out, it is the well-to-do in this piece who provide its dark underbelly.

Meryl Bunce's direction provided the audience with a real sense of the sinister nature of this story, with the excellent ensemble number, Facade, drawing us into a story that we know is not going to end well. Among the talented ensemble, Craig Fisher and Jo Jones stood out as really encapsulating the darkness of the piece. Marc Kerr captured the conflicting energies of Jekyll and Hyde well, performing the transformations between the two personas with skill, as was particularly shown in his final big number, Confrontation. Lauren Bunce portrayed the vulnerability of Lucy convincingly, while Jess Hughes showed her consummate acting skill as the desperate and confused Emma. My stand-outs were Dean Barnes as John Utterson and Paul Gort as Simom Stride - both actors embodied their characters with such presence and believability.

My standout moment in the show was the excellent Dangerous Game, which comes half way through the second act. Although a duet between Hyde and Lucy, director Bunce and Choreographer Danielle Grand staged an excellent ensemble dance number to respond to the duet, which, with some macabre lighting added in to heighten the atmosphere, was superb.

There were also some good special effects. In Jekyll's laboratory some mock experiments were executed, producing all the bubbles and colours that we come to expect in a piece of this ilk.

This is a strong company and a strong cast, and I look forward to their next production, ‘Annie’.

Although I feel that ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ is a musical that has an underdeveloped book and characters, and ultimately does not live up to its source material, Stowmarket Musical Theatre Company produced an excellent production that took you to the heart of macabre London, and made you question what you're hiding behind the facade.

Jekyll & Hyde is at The Regal in Stowmarket until 6 June.

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