Queen's Theatre Hornchurch & Derby Theatre bring Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll & Hyde to the stage this autumn

Queens Theatre Hornchurch and Derby Theatre have announced that they will team up once again this autumn to bring Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic tale Jekyll & Hyde to the stage in a new adaptation by acclaimed playwright Neil Bartlett.

Dr Jekyll is a well respected scientist who, upon making a momentous scientific discovery, creates a double life in which inner demons threaten to take control. In the streets of Victorian London, respectability clashes with monsters and murder, and as his two identities begin to blur, we are invited to delve into what makes Jekyll tick. Will Dr Jekyll win the battle to defeat his monstrous alter-ego or will Mr Hyde gain power over him?

Jekyll & Hyde, adapted by Neil Bartlett and directed by artistic director Sarah Brigham, is the newest collaboration between the two theatres, following on from previous acclaimed productions, including Abigail’s Party by Mike Leigh and its companion piece, Abi by Atiha Seb Gupta, Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors and Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Speaking about the production, Sarah Brigham said: "I'm incredibly excited to be undertaking this fresh new adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde. I admire Neil Bartlett's work hugely, having directed his version of Great Expectations a few years ago, and this new adaptation of the classic story of Jekyll and Hyde unearths some fascinating themes for today’s audience; the duality of man and of society, how our public and private personas intertwine, and the role of bystanders in extreme circumstances. It is such a well-known and iconic story, and we hope to bring our audiences into the heart of it.”

The cast and creative team are to be announced shortly.

Jekyll & Hyde will play at Derby Theatre from 30 September-22 October before transferring to the Queens Theatre Hornchurch from 26 October-12 November.