DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

KING’S THEATRE, EDINBURGH

IT’S 133 years since Robert Louis Stevenson penned his irresistible tale but it has lost none of its impact.

And this delightful re-telling of one of his most thought-provoking works perfecty captures the mood and darkness of the era.

The set is fittingly dismal and eerie and as Jekyll creeps out of the darkness, he instills a sense of fear before he utters a word.

In the eponymous roles, Phil Daniels gives a brilliant portrayal of a man tortured by two sides of his own personality.

But the Scots accents he chose to use were more than a bit patchy. In the first act Daniels struggled, with Jekyll’s Edinburgh twang often sounding more Eton or EastEnder rather than anything Morningside may have to offer. But, to be fair, his second act performance was more consistent. For Edward Hyde’s voice, he chose to be Glaswegian and while this accent was more plausible, it did sound as if he had swallowed a Billy Connolly DVD. In his performance from happy-go-lucky, playful uncle to murderer and rapist and all points in between, Daniels showed an immense depth of character to pull off one of the most iconic gothic horror roles.

The addition of named female parts gave the piece a more delicate balance but the attempt at a back story to explain Jekyll’s downward spiral into monster was an unneccessary appendage.

His eyepatch-wearing, widowed sister was a step too far, although Polly Frame played her extremely well. The incredible Grace Hogg-Robinson as Annie was the conscience of the piece and acted as a guide through Jekyll’s terrifyingly malevolent mind.

And third additional character, played by Rosie Abraham, added chills with her creepy singing in half light.

Lighting really is key to capturing the atmosphere in this period piece and Mark Jonathan’s design was exceptional.

For the purists, the reworking of the original masterpiece may jar slightly but for fans of horror chillers, this is an outstanding piece of theatre to rival anything 21st century writers could deliver.

VIVIENNE AITKEN