A new thrilling hybrid production, co-written by a UofG student, uses innovative theatrical and cinematic techniques to create a live film/theatre experience which is now available in cinemas nationally.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a collaboration between the National Theatre of Scotland and Selkie Productions in association with Screen Scotland and Sky Arts. 

Written by Vlad Butucea, a PhD Theatre Studies student at the School of Culture & Creative Arts, and Hope Dickson Leach, who also directed the production, is adapted from the original novella by Robert Louis Stevenson and relocated from London to Edinburgh.

The performance at Edinburgh's historic Leith Theatre was captured on film and now it is being livestreamed to from Monday 28 February in UK cinemas. The footage captured during the performances will subsequently be edited into a full feature film, which will be broadcast on Sky Arts in 2023.  

This will be the first livestream film, created and set in Scotland, to be seen by audiences in Scottish cinemas. Theatrical rights have been acquired by leading film distributor Cosmic Cat, who will be streaming the performance into cinemas across Scotland and the UK.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Hope Dickson Leach and Vlad Butucea, returns to Edinburgh born writer Robert Louis Stevenson’s original story which was published in 1886.

This gripping new adaptation has been developed with theatre dramaturg Rosie Kellagher. The drama follows Gabriel Utterson as he enters a world of dark duplicity to uncover the identity of the mysterious Mr Hyde and the hold he has over Utterson’s old friend Dr Jekyll.

 A gothic tale of double lives and inner demons, the storyline is mirrored not only in the hybrid format of the production but in the audience experience at the venue.

Leith Theatre is a legendary music venue, performance space and community resource in the heart of Leith, which was a gift from the City of Edinburgh in the 1920s. Its main auditorium has played host to sporting events, the Edinburgh International Festival and iconic artists and bands. Currently closed to the public, audiences had exclusive access to the main auditorium during the theatrical film event, and the venue’s historic backstage maze of rooms and hallways was transformed into film set location scenes of Victorian Edinburgh.

 

First published: 28 February 2022

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