News > DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE – Malvern Theatre

As the Beast from the East ripped its claws into the country the intrepid year 11s set off for Malvern to see an interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gothic thriller, 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', starring Phil Daniels of 'Eastenders' and 'Quadrophenia' fame (some of you may remember his voice in the Blur hit, 'Parklife').

The theatre were incredibly welcoming even organising a touch tour with the director and Phil. It really helped the students get to grips with the set and helped when staff were describing the action.

In the story the supposedly mild-mannered Dr Jekyll experiments on himself to unleash an alternative personality… the fiendish Mr Hyde. Mr Hyde is a man without a moral compass – he is purely instinctual- what he feels like doing he does. This leads to murder and terror with Jekyll increasingly being unable to control his evil alter ego.

The aim of the visit was to help students revise for their forthcoming GCSE English Literature exam though at times the stage version veered so far from the text that its usefulness can only be debated. Tony award-winning playwright David Edgar’s adaption included a back story of a sister whom Jekyll had half-blinded which rather confused some of us. However, by discussing the differences it served to reinforce our understanding of the original.

Overall, the students enjoyed the trip and survived the return journey through a blizzard!