Jekyll & Hyde

When Jekyll & Hyde was released as a concept album in 1990 the pop-opera musical form reached its zenith with its power-ballad score. Never had so many songs been crammed into a musical before or since; “This is the Moment”, “Someone Like You”, “In His Eyes”, “Once Upon A Dream” and “A New Life”. Since then of course the songs have gone on to become enduring favourites and on everybody’s bucket list to sing on stage.

The story finds a doctor in Edwardian London being refused permission to test a potion on patients that will separate good from evil in humanity and cure mental illness. Instead he swallows it himself, turns into Mr Hyde, and sets out to murder each member of the asylum’s board who rejected his plan.

Elodie Boal has assembled a raft of talented and experienced community theatre performances for her Phoenix Ensemble production, which gives full reign to this pop-opera score. Long-haired Michael Mills, in the dual roles of Jekyll/Hyde, had undeniable charisma; smooth and upstanding as the experimenting Doctor and wild, animalistic and debauched as Mr. Hyde. His physical transformation to the latter was alive with menace, and his vocals had passion, especially the show’s monster-hit “This Is the Moment”.

As the Red Rat brothel’s newest prostitute Lucy, Ebony Hamacek was sexy, pragmatic, and brought guts and grit to the role. Her “Someone Like You” soared, whilst “Bring on the Men” had buckets of raunch.

Kelly Cooper as Jekyll’s fiancée Emma was no wilting violet, but a woman with an emancipated streak and feisty. She excelled on the sweet anthem “Once Upon a Dream”.

Others to impress, but all destined for a grisly death, were Mary Veitch (Lady Beaconsfield), Simon Stone (Sir Danvers Carew), Joshua Brandon (Lord Savage) and James Hogan (Bishop of Basinstoke). Alice Andrewartha as Nellie had presence.

Trenton Dunstan led a keyboard-heavy band which at times sounded thin, especially in the big power-ballads, but Justin Tubb-Hearne’s costumes were excellent and reeked of the period, with Emma’s white crinoline wedding gown the apotheosis. At times a serious musical, yet at others highly melodramatic and risible as the bodies piled up.

Despite the clunky mix this trip to Edwardian London was great fun.

Peter Pinne