DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE to Open at Merrimack Repertory Theatre

MRT has announced the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2026-27 season, MRT's 48th season. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Landing just in time for spooky season, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde will run October 14 through November 1 at MRT's Liberty Hall.

Directed by MRT's Interim Executive Artistic Director, Jenny Lavery, the production brings the sinister thrills of Victorian London to the Merrimack Valley, with mystery, mayhem, and a whole lot of Hyde - well, four to be exact.

In Hatcher's adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale, physician Dr. Henry Jekyll is determined to unlock the fundamental nature of good and evil. His experiments succeed, but not quite as he planned. As Jekyll's darker impulses take physical form, the many different Edward Hydes emerge, and the distinction between one person and their many selves becomes increasingly difficult to contain.

Jeffrey Hatcher's fast-moving, suspenseful adaptation turns this classic tale into a thrilling game of cat and mouse.

The cast includes Andre Martin playing Dr. Henry Jekyll, Sarah Danko as Elizabeth and an ensemble with Herman Gambhir, Brent Charles and Amber Quick, and Massachusetts native Ed Swidey. All actors are making their MRT debuts!

Somerset, Massachusetts native and proud Boston College alumnus Ed Swidey excitedly returns to his home and his old stomping grounds with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

“This cast and creative team are truly top notch,” says Lavery. “This is my favorite type of theatre: physically adventurous and actor-driven where the narrative depends on the versatility of the actors to transform from one character to the next in front of an audience. This version of the classic tale is fast-paced and full of surprises!”

The production features a creative team of some of the region's leading theatre artists: Costume Design by Yao Chen (Past MRT work: Misery, Kween), Lighting Design by Brian J. Lilienthal (Past MRT work: Misery, Ring of Fire, Kween), Sound Design by David Remedios (Past MRT work: Misery (Norton Award Winner!),Ring of Fire, Kween), Scenic Design by Michael Hoover (MRT debut, previously at The Guthrie), and Dialect Coaching by Sara Valentine (MRT debut). The production stage manager is Jenna Worden (MRT debut).

For Lavery, Hatcher's adaptation also taps into a fascination with something much more contemporary than just Victorian horror.

“I'm a 'true crime' fan,” she says. “Hatcher's version of this classic tale feels current and modern. It will thrill you how fast it moves. It's a fun date night or night out with friends at the theatre!”