In his 1990 portrayal of the title character, in Jekyll and Hyde, Michael Caine plays up the bodily grotesqueness of the character, making him more ogre than human. It’s a departure from Stevenson’s notion that Hyde’s deformity is sensed, but not quite visible. If you have a beard then it's an idea to plan this costume in advance, so you can grow it on. With me, my dedication to be the perfect Mr Hyde is such that I've grown on my eyebrows too! Naomi Gibbs, costume designer for The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, talks about the design process and the choices she’s made for the production. The letter created such an uproar and speculation over the play and in particular the transformation scene that Mr Mansfield was forced to close it down.

Blending elements of sensation and gothic fiction, while also imparting moral lessons and reflecting on the intricacies of human nature, the story is both thrilling and thought-provoking. In a contemporary review, novelist Henry James refers to the tensions between moralism and excitement in the text, asking, “Is ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ a work of high philosophic intention, or simply the most ingenious and irresponsible of fictions?”. Two smaller roles which again are part of the story, you both created the roles well and interacted with the other members of the cast. It was definitely “Friday 13th” with one or two gremlins at work! Apart from these little glitches the cast were always well lit and there were several well thought out atmospheric lighting cues. Well done to Chris Horseman and Toby Abbot. And Peter Larter and George Mailin who were in charge of the follow spots which worked well and on time. Well done to all of them for their hard work, despite the “gremlins!”The Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde costume is a relatively uncommon gender-swapped variant of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde costume. Despite being uncommon, it is one of the best known gender-swap costumes due to the dual nature of the character. There are two variations of the costume: one where both sides are female, and one where one side is female (or crossdressed) and one side is male. The wearer may wear a costume based on the idea of the original story, or from the 1995 British-American comedy film, Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde. Annie of course is signalling her trade in a garish red, the only colour that will really ‘pop’ and deliberately jar with the rest of the palette. This echoes the red of ‘sin’ demonstrated in the Devil motif running throughout. It is also the colour of passion and violence so is somewhat hinting of situations to befall her person in later scenes. Her costume is also heavily distressed (worn in) to communicate to the audience that she is an individual of poor means and situation. MOUSTACHE: should be fuller and if possible, using moustache wax train clumps of hair over the mouth in a sinister manner. If you have a long side to your moustache, then use some of the wax on the finger tips make an exaggerated upward curl to the end to give a touch of swagger to the whole creation. A review of two halves. I didn’t wholly connect with the material (although I did find it whirring through my mind so it achieved its aim) but the production was absolutely brilliant.

Having flexed and strengthened his dark side, it takes him in a chokehold and refuses to let go. Hyde cannot be suppressed or flung aside, because he is an integral part of the whole self. Unlike Frankenstein’s monster, which is independent of its maker, Jekyll’s creation is an essential, inseparable part of himself – a different dimension of the same identity. The mythical and the beastly There are so many facets to this character but I felt that you had approached this role with such thoughtful preparation, exploring the drive and emotional journey of the man with obvious intelligence. You have an impactful yet understated presence on stage - this really worked, for the personas of Jekyll and Hyde were presented through you in such a way that we were able to really connect with the dynamic between the two. In your first number your humanity was captured as you sang to your father - our empathy was drawn in immediately. This is important as we need to like you as you follow this tortuous and dangerous road. But you also portrayed Henry's desperation for scientific advance and an answer to the big question of good and evil - this desperation became effectively compulsive. Your energy as Hyde was both repulsive and intriguing - and I think we were all very unsettled by the impactful delivery of those provocative words as you felt so 'alive' in your new found persona. Physicality matched this - transition to Hyde was outstanding: the jerking, tormented body movements alongside a deep vocal delivery and glazed, manic eyes gave us a window into your tormented mind. In the old folkloric spirit therefore, I'm putting Mr Hyde on the sinister side but you choose, just make sure you don't mix the two up as you create your costume. PLEASED TO MEET YOU DR JEKYLLIn a mash up of Victorian England and the modern day, the story explores how the repression of female voices was as prevalent in the 19th century as it is today. Centring around two new protagonists – Hattie, Jekyll’s widow, and Florence, a young blogger in the 21st century – these new narratives confront the power the internet holds to unleash our own inner Hyde. Your strong stage presence enabled you to portray the man who dislikes Jekyll so much. Excellent vocal delivery as you chaired the Board. The physical connection between this cast was impressive. The scenes between Hyde and Lucy are very challenging - but movement and confidence of players created some really unsettling moments. Handling of Jekyll's transitions was very good too. Again, these could so easily be 'too much', but the physicality and vocal dynamics of this player ensured that we were both gripped and repelled. Some very effective grouping too - the slow, forward movements of the distressed inhabitants of the asylum initially and grouping of prostitutes and punters in the inn was most effective. Excellent reactive play from the ensemble here. From your colourful costumes which helped to create the characters, you all blended well together and have clear singing voices and good movement, you were the ladies of the night always in character at all times. Good stage presence and you lit up the stage, we could believe that you were truly the roles that you created. Well done. In each of us there are two natures - the primitive duality of man. It is the curse of mankind that these polar twins should be constantly struggling.'

MR HYDE'S CRAVAT: Fold over the short and non-pointed end of the remaining single piece of fabric to make a seam which will have the strength to support the press studs. Stevenson explains he based the story on “that strong sense of man’s double being which must at times come in upon and overwhelm the mind of every thinking creature”. Although the book is only ten chapters long, it engages with complex questions about moral conflict, or the internal battle between our carnal – not always honourable – desires and our ethical responsibilities. If you need help costuming your show or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call our costume hotline toll-free at 1-866-374-7442 offering you FREEassistance from 8:30 AM. To5:00 P.M. ESTMonday – Friday.

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Mr Hyde has no collar and his frayed-topped shirt will show below the level of the cravat. THE WAISTCOAT The first and foremost reference for a costume designer is always the script, so I begin my process reading it first for pleasure as though I were ‘audience’, after which I revisit it many times, layering on notes that occur to me as I go. There was an infectious sense of enjoyment from you all - you oozed commitment and enthusiasm. Lovely cameo from the respectful yet hesitant Poole and a very memorable portrayal of Spider - your hatred of women and love of yourself was very evident. Both small roles but again central to the story. Jake as the pimp had created a believable role, you looked and acted the role so well that we could believe in your role and you interacted well with Lucy and the other members of the cast, well done. Skulking through the hallways of your local hospital a mad man prowls dressed in tattered clothes as you would expect from a shape shifter. The stuff of nightmares and at the core of evil itself is the monster known as Dr Jeyll and Mr Hyde. We can't give you the personality to go with the costume but with our Jekyll and Hyde fancy dress costume we can get you to look something like him. This is an ideal multi-wear costume and is suitable for medical themed, monster themed or Halloween parties. Working in his laboratory well into the night, Dr Jekyll stumbled upon a mystical formula which changed him from looking like and being a mild mannered gentleman into a ravaged monster - yep, it was a liquid that later became known as something just like Bed Rull.

By the end of the evening I could not write. It was so painful and unsettling to watch Jekyll's final, tortuous demise. I have never felt that way before at the end of a Rose Bowl Adjudication.The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is ideal viewing for students reading the novel as part of a GCSE English Literature course (AQA / OCR / Edexcel / Eduqas). The rich theatricality of the production also makes it a great choice for the live evaluation element for GCSE Drama. Thank you for your kind invitation and the warm welcome front of house, and I look forward to being invited to your next production Only small roles but all essential to the story, from the pompous General, the holier than thou Bishop, the sanctimonious snobby Lady, and the rich pompous and semi hypocritic Sir Archibald and Lord Savage, you all played your parts well with good strong voices and confidant acting you all created believable characters. Well done A good strong chorus is essential to any musical and this is what we had with you all, playing your various roles and staying in character at all times, good movement and excellent singing, you all helped to create them and be part of the story. Well done