I have a particular soft spot for Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. It has been my favourite book of all time ever since my father gave me a copy when I was a teenager. So when I discovered there was a new adaptation playing in Barnes, I knew I had to see it. And what better day to go than 31 October? What a way to start my Halloween celebrations.
Four incredibly talented women brought Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic to life in a production that had me completely hypnotised from beginning to end. I went in with high expectations: this is my book, after all, and came away thoroughly impressed.
The setup: Forget the monster
You know the story. Sweet Dr Jekyll, nasty Mr Hyde, same bloke, terrible skincare routine. We’ve all seen the adaptations, the Hollywood films, the Halloween costumes. The big twist? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (probably covered in green face paint after last year’s school play).
So what’s new here? Quite a lot, actually.
Jekyll & Hyde: Remember Me asks a question we’d never really considered: forget the monster, who was Henry Jekyll? We all know what he did. We know what he unleashed. But what about the man himself? And how do the people who actually knew him remember it all?
The answer, in this production, comes through the eyes of the housemaid. Genius. It’s a fresh perspective that makes you look at a classic in a completely different way. You’re not watching Jekyll from the outside, judging his choices. You’re watching him through the eyes of someone who served him, trusted him, and watched him unravel. It’s intimate, it’s unsettling, and it works beautifully.
The experience: Nineteen seats and nowhere to hide
The intimate setting is a huge part of the experience. Shadow Road Studio is small, properly small. There are just 19 seats per performance. Nineteen! You’ll be sitting literally feet from the action as Jekyll’s experiment spirals deliciously out of control around you.
And that proximity changes everything. With the actors performing just feet away, every glance, every movement, every change of voice feels intense and immediate. There’s no fourth wall to hide behind, no big staging to distract you. It’s just four actors, a brilliantly clever script, and an atmosphere you could cut with a knife.
Think Victorian London conjured up in a tiny Barnes studio with nothing but talent, atmosphere, and a healthy dose of theatrical magic. No elaborate sets. No pyrotechnics. Just proper, gripping, edge-of-your-seat theatre.
Content note for parents: there’s staged violence and psychological intensity, so this one’s for the grown-ups. Think of it as a very cultured date night and you’ll be home by a reasonable hour, as it runs about 60 minutes.
The performances: Four women, one masterclass
Huge congratulations to Amy Floyd, Amy King, Emma King-Farlow and Belle Quinlan. What a talented quartet.
Watching four actresses bring an entire world to life, playing multiple roles, shifting voices, moving seamlessly between characters, is a genuine pleasure. You forget there are only four of them. You forget you’re in a studio in Barnes. You’re just in it.
Emma King-Farlow, who also wrote and directed the adaptation, had a proper lightbulb moment while working on this:
“Everybody coming to Jekyll & Hyde in 2026 already knows the big secret. I realised very quickly that there was little point in asking an audience to pretend otherwise. That led me to a much more interesting question: if everybody remembers the monster, Hyde, what happened to the man, Jekyll? Who remembered him and how?”
We love a woman who asks the big questions.
The verdict
A clever adaptation, powerful performances and a reminder that you don’t need a huge stage or spectacular effects to create unforgettable theatre.
This is storytelling at its best, imaginative, intimate, and genuinely gripping. It’s the kind of production that stays with you afterwards, making you rethink a story you thought you knew inside out. I came away wanting to reread the book immediately and I probably will.
If you’re looking for something different for a night out, something that isn’t a big West End musical or a crowded cinema, this is it. It’s theatre the way it should be: up close, alive, and utterly absorbing.
Go this week before it’s too late
The run finishes on 8 November 2026, and with just 19 seats per performance, tickets are limited. If you’re reading this and thinking “that sounds good,” don’t think about it too long. Book now.
The details:
- What: Jekyll & Hyde: Remember Me?
- Who: Shadow Road Productions?
- Where: Shadow Road Studio, 1 Bracken Gardens, Barnes, London SW13 9HW?
- When: Until 8 November 2026 (various times)?
- How long: About 60 minutes?
- Tickets: www.ticketsource.com/shadowroad/e-rpzbra?
- More info: www.shadowroad.com
?
Shadow Road Productions aren’t just making excellent theatre, they’re taking it to people who might not otherwise get to experience it. After Jekyll & Hyde wraps up, they’re taking their much-loved four-actor A Christmas Carol on an Arts Council-funded tour of hospitals, cancer centres and care homes in December and January.
You can catch their version of A Christmas Carol Friday 18 December at 7.30pm and Saturday 19 December at 2,30pm at Rose House in Barnes.
Tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/shadowroad
But first: get yourself to Barnes this week. You won’t regret it.
And to the four women who brought my favourite book to life on Halloween night, thank you. You did Stevenson proud.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
