Shows / Jekyll and Hyde
Jekyll and Hyde: theatre in education for GCSE
By Robert Louis Stevenson. Touring September to October 2027, then January to April 2028.
The production
Victorian London, the late 1800s. Gabriel Utterson, a close friend of Dr Jekyll and witness to the facts of his shocking tale, cannot forget the nightmare he lived through. Although the events have passed, his mind is restless.
On the verge of despair, his search for help brings him to a dark corner of London. To put his mind to rest, he must first relive the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
This faithful adaptation takes the audience through the major plot points and scenes of the novella in a 60-minute performance. It is followed by a workshop of up to 30 minutes on the novella’s key themes and quotations, with time for pupils’ questions.
Who it’s for
- Key stage
- KS4 (also suitable for Year 9)
- Exam boards
- AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas and OCR
- Running time
- 60-minute performance, then a workshop of up to 30 minutes
- Cast
- Number of actors per show
- Space
- 6m × 5m performance area, ideally the main hall, drama studio or theatre
What the workshop covers
Themes
- Duality of human nature
- Reputation and respectability
- Science and religion
- Secrecy and repression
- Violence and the city
Key quotations
- “Man is not truly one, but truly two”
- “If he be Mr Hyde… I shall be Mr Seek”
- “Ape-like fury”
- “Something troglodytic”
Context
- Victorian respectability and the gentleman
- Darwin, evolution and fears of degeneration
- Fin-de-siècle anxiety and the divided city
When it tours
September to October 2027, then January to April 2028. Tell us your preferred weeks and any mock exam dates, and we’ll offer dates that work around them.
touring window for Jekyll and Hyde
Questions schools ask
Which exam boards is it suitable for?
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a GCSE English Literature set text for AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas and OCR.
We teach A Christmas Carol, not Jekyll and Hyde. Is this still useful?
Most schools teach one of the two novels. If you teach A Christmas Carol, book that show instead, or pair it with Macbeth for two shows in one day.
Is Jekyll and Hyde a play?
Stevenson wrote it as a novella, published in January 1886. Our production is a stage adaptation that follows the novella closely.