Review: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at Soho Playhouse

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde recently opened at Soho Playhouse, offering a simple two-person play mixing both comedy and horror for an entertaining take on the classic gothic tale.

Dr. Jekyll (Burt Grinstead) begins to question the essence of good and evil after a family member is said to have done the unthinkable. Unfortunately, no one will listen to the doctor's theories, leaving him to conduct experiments in his basement and on himself, all in efforts to try to save humanity. But something goes wrong as Dr. Jekyll changes from himself into the evil Mr. Hyde, and soon he has to decide the best way to end his experiments once and for fall.

And while the change from the good doctor into the evil Hyde is exciting, one can also appreciate the many other character changes actress Anna Stromberg goes through, transforming from a maid to a doctor, a male to a female in merely seconds.

Everything is in black and white, giving a classic creepy feel. All that is in color is the backdrop of the London skyline which changes to coincide with the emotions felt during the storyline. The costumes are also kept at a minimal, with a hat or a long skirt to help switch into a different character. The costumes and the set design are both simple and it works well. This play isn't overindulgent and we're not here for an that. We're here for the two actors that make us laugh and make us question our own mortality in the most tantalizing way possible.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is now running until May 26th at the Soho Playhouse in New York City.

Photo Credit: Cooper Bates Photography

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