One-man ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ comes to Cheltenham

When it comes to acting challenges, taking on the role of a figure with split personalities and demonic tendencies probably comes close to the top of the list. With that description you might think the role in question is reminiscent of certain modern day political leaders.

Actually, it is that of Dr Jekyll in a compelling one-man show The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson which is coming to the Cheltenham & Gloucester Fringe for one performance only on Sunday 21st September.

'Jekyll and Hyde' - a mystery tale about the timeless conflict between good and evil - caused a sensation when it was published in 1886.

Although the show is a faithful retelling of this classic story, the show’s adaptor and performer, Mark Stratford, is taking the challenge to another level – by playing not only the mild-mannered doctor, but also the evil Edward Hyde, and a host of other characters.

“One of the biggest challenges are the scenes where I have to physically transform from the upstanding Doctor into the loathsome and sinister Hyde,” Stratford explains, “Hyde has a powerful energy and playing him is both exciting and exhausting.”

In fog-bound Victorian London, Gabriel Utterson works as a respectable lawyer. Concerned by a strange clause in his friend Henry Jekyll’s will, Utterson investigates the sinister Edward Hyde – Jekyll’s unlikely protégé. Convinced that Jekyll and Hyde’s relationship is founded on blackmail, Utterson embarks on a quest to learn more but, as he does so, finds the truth to be far worse than he could have ever imagined...

Stratford seeks to thrill his audience with a combination of powerful story-telling and character creation: “It’s such a compelling story that I hope the audience, having booked their seats, will spend the rest of the evening on the edge of them!”

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★★★★★ ‘A truly mesmerising performance’ (North West End UK)

★★★★ "Stratford's performance held the theatre spellbound" (ReviewsGate)

★★★★ ‘Stratford’s stellar performance carries the play' (The Reviews Hub)

★★★★ ‘As the story unfolds, we begin to see moments of Mr Hyde, and from here on in we are well and truly hooked’ (Views from the Gods)

★★★★ ‘A wonderfully accessible and faithful version of the story performed with skill and precision’ (Fairy Powered Productions)‘A gripping piece of theatre...Get along to Stratford’s show and see the characters come alive’ (British Theatre Guide)

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BOOKING NOW for Sunday 21st September, 2025 at 2pm

Venue: SQUEAK in Sandford Park, College Road, Cheltenham GL53 7HZ

Ticket Prices: £12 (full), £8 (concessions) [Booking fees apply]

Ticket Links: everymantheatre.org.uk / rotundatheatre.com

Running time: 80 minutes (no interval)

Age Guidance: 12+

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