By Claas Johann Dallmeier-Tießen, Bhanu Otto Kailash Gauri, Karl Otto Teller, Kimik Bikram Basnet, Laurin Jonathan Stark, Nik Stanzer (Gymnasium Altona)
The individual and its effects on the people around it are of great importance in everyday life and, by coincidence, also one of our Abitur topics. Therefore, on the 28th of January, we visited the play “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, performed in the Audimax by the “University Players”.
The play “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is about strange and disturbing events in Victorian London involving a well-respected doctor and a mysterious, frightening figure. As people close to the doctor try to make sense of what is happening, the story explores themes such as good versus evil, hidden sides of human nature, secrets, and the dangers of going too far in the name of science.
The stage design was minimalistic and focused on a single door, which appeared in almost every act of the play. This design allowed the acting to be placed in the foreground. This approach is not for everyone, but people who are impressed by strong acting skills will appreciate it. We found the actors playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Lanyon particularly convincing. Their energy and synergy, especially in their engaging dialogues, were our personal highlight of the play.
However, we do have one point of criticism regarding the plot and, especially, its comprehensibility. Without some prior preparation, we probably would not have been able to fully understand the main idea of the play. This may be due to the fact that it was our first play performed entirely in English. Nevertheless, we believe that a truly strong performance should be easy to follow, and at times — for example during the death scene of Sir Danvers Carew — we were left somewhat confused.
In our opinion, the play offered strong acting performances and an interesting interpretation of a classic story, but it required prior knowledge to be fully understood. Despite some moments of confusion, it was a valuable and thought-provoking experience that connected well to our Abitur topic.
Photos by Sarah Naumann
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