Jekyll and Hyde

A review by Sheridan Bruce

On at Circa, Wellington, until 16 April.

A combination of A Slightly Isolated Dog, the macabre tale of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and 'audience participation' makes for a 'night at the theatre' a different experience to the norm. Yes, you can sit back and let it wash over you or you can be part of the story. 

Leo Gene Peters, Director, says "We wanted to make a party - a place for us to come together and play. Basically, it's adults playing make-believe .... "

Jekyll & Hyde is an interactive performance event, a party in the theatre with the audience very much making the show come to life. A sort of 3D theatre experience with audience participation helping create texture and context to an already very good performance by the five exciting and talented cast of Andrew Paterson, Susie Berry, Jonathan Price, Jack Buchanan and Hayley Sproull, with direction from Leo Gene Peters supported by the production team of Meg Rollandi, Debbie Fish and Blair Godby.

While the tale of Jekyll and Hyde provides excellent dramatic material, the comic genre of A Slightly Isolated Dog, complete with French accents creates a black comedy of laugh out loud proportions. Sinister and sexy, the show romps along building to a crescendo when evil swamps goodness and bad things happen to good people!

This is one of those shows you need to sink yourself into to get the most out of it, else you'll be the wall flower. Playing along is a big part. Don't let your head rule your heart because you'll end up sitting on the fence. Not a good place to be for total enjoyment of what is a very clever and entertaining theatre event. I thoroughly recommend Jekyll & Hyde and A Slightly Isolated Dog. What a great cast.

Visit Circa Theatre to book you tickets now.