February 2021 is shaping up to be a monster month for Sydney’s theatre scene, quite literally. The grand re-opening of Hayes Theatre will be accompanied by crowds carrying pitchforks for the premiere of Young Frankenstein, while over at the Performance Space in Longueville the demonic dual identity of Jekyll and Hyde the Musical is unleashed.
The epic struggle between the good and evil sides of one cursed man is based on the classic story by Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson, and features pop-rock music by Oscar and Tony-nominated Frank Wildhorn, with a book by Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse. This local staging by Lane Cove Theatre Company, running February 12-27, casts Trent Gardiner (Holding the Man) in the central role of the good Dr Jekyll and tenor Joseph Raso as his murderous alter ego Mr Hyde.
But it’s not just the tortured Jekyll’s ill-advised dabbling in the laboratory that’s at the dark heart of this unforgettable show. The work also spans the greater divisions in our society, from the rich and powerful to the poor and forgotten, and exorcises the emotional ghosts that haunt us all. In other words, it’s the perfect show for our wild times, and you get double the wicked fun for your money. The cast is expansive too, especially for indie theatre, tapping Olivia Oxley, Samantha Wills, Isaac Downey, Tisha Kelemen and Jindri DeSilva among others.
Lochie Beh directs, with musical direction by Stephen Dula (Sweeney Todd). “Being given the chance to direct Jekyll & Hyde is one I will always cherish,” Beh says. “It’s a show that plays to the facade in all of us, rich or poor, happy or sad, good or evil.”
