Britannia Panopticon, Glasgow
3 stars
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has occupied a myriad of forms. Concerning as it does man’s hidden inner depths, such fecundity suggests the gothic classic is itself in possession of some literary multiple personality disorder. Andrew McKinnon’s cut-up of Stevenson’s collected works for his Wayward Scot company mixes fiction, poetry and biography to create a portrait of the artist holding up a huge mirror to his own life through the written word.
The result, performed by Vincent Friell and Martin Docherty in matching collarless shirts, with occasional interjections by McKinnon, who also directs, is a schizophrenic parlour entertainment set to David Bernard’s foreboding electronic score. As Friell and Docherty prowl the room, swapping chunks of Stevenson’s texts, a sensitive, fiercely intelligent figure emerges from the authentic gloom of The Panopticon’s Victorian interior.
This choice of venue is quite deliberate. Rather than working theatres, McKinnon has opted to play in ‘public rooms.’ There are few better than The Panopticon, one of the UK’s last surviving music halls, lovingly preserved by a body of enthusiasts who treasure the speak-easy vibe of the venue where Stan Laurel made his performing debut.
There are no laughs or sing-songs of that era in The Cabinet Of Doctor Jekyll. What oozes from McKinnon’s psychological line of inquiry, however, is the allure of such back-alley pleasure palaces that tempted Jekyll, Hyde and indeed Stevenson into their clutches. The show will have a very different personality when it visits Broughton House on May 15-16 and Glasgow’s Holmwood House on May 18-19. This should make for a fittingly haunting metamorphosis nevertheless.
The Herald, May 14th 2007
ends
3 stars
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has occupied a myriad of forms. Concerning as it does man’s hidden inner depths, such fecundity suggests the gothic classic is itself in possession of some literary multiple personality disorder. Andrew McKinnon’s cut-up of Stevenson’s collected works for his Wayward Scot company mixes fiction, poetry and biography to create a portrait of the artist holding up a huge mirror to his own life through the written word.
The result, performed by Vincent Friell and Martin Docherty in matching collarless shirts, with occasional interjections by McKinnon, who also directs, is a schizophrenic parlour entertainment set to David Bernard’s foreboding electronic score. As Friell and Docherty prowl the room, swapping chunks of Stevenson’s texts, a sensitive, fiercely intelligent figure emerges from the authentic gloom of The Panopticon’s Victorian interior.
This choice of venue is quite deliberate. Rather than working theatres, McKinnon has opted to play in ‘public rooms.’ There are few better than The Panopticon, one of the UK’s last surviving music halls, lovingly preserved by a body of enthusiasts who treasure the speak-easy vibe of the venue where Stan Laurel made his performing debut.
There are no laughs or sing-songs of that era in The Cabinet Of Doctor Jekyll. What oozes from McKinnon’s psychological line of inquiry, however, is the allure of such back-alley pleasure palaces that tempted Jekyll, Hyde and indeed Stevenson into their clutches. The show will have a very different personality when it visits Broughton House on May 15-16 and Glasgow’s Holmwood House on May 18-19. This should make for a fittingly haunting metamorphosis nevertheless.
The Herald, May 14th 2007
ends
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