Jekyll & Hyde

The crazy faux-French fivesome are back at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, after the success of their interpretation of Don Juan, this time taking on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic novella, injecting it with their effervescent energies, contemporary twists, and ridiculously clever physical theatre.

As the black-box Space Theatre resumes its cabaret table formation for a couple of weeks, we are welcomed and encouraged to their tables by our hosts: Ginger, Lily, Bastien, Philippe, and Julie (in mighty impressive stilettos). Each converses with members of the audience, their exaggerated continental accents making us smile and relax. By the time the house lights dim, the performing troupe know quite a lot more about us than when we were ushered through the doors.

The story is familiar, yet its retelling is fresh – each performer taking their turn to adorn the hat of Dr. Jekyll or the wig of Mr. Hyde. A smattering of twenty-first century references are naturally inserted, and whilst one tells the story, the others are in the audience, throwing cheeky asides.

The pace is unrelenting, the jokes crack from every direction, and now, we’re all willing participants in this storytelling, mimicking the gestures and vocals of the actors around us. They are each individually marvellous: not just in their characterisations, but with their gentle encouragement and constant reassurance of the audience.

The narrative’s velocity occasionally decelerates for impressive song, but the five performers never seem to take a breath. I say five, but it really should be six, as this wouldn’t work nearly so well without the astounding work of sound designer Sam Clavis, who also operates (as François), synchronising the perfect swish and bang in time with the actions of the performers - and sometimes, audience members! The audio is very much a part of the storytelling here.

This theatre is part-spoken word, part-song, part-improv (with audience stories surfaced amongst Stevenson’s), but all-physical theatre. The props are minimal but immensely effective, as is the lighting, which creates just the right kinds of darkness for this tale.

A fantastic hour of immersive, sexy, crazy, laugh-till-it-hurts theatre.

Review by Mark Wickett

Photos by Kyham Ross