Jekyll and Hyde Dramatized: The 1887 Richard Mansfield Script and the Evolution of the Story on Stage

by Martin A. Danahay (Editor), Alex Chisholm (Editor)

An authoritative, collated version of the Mansfield script charts the evolution of his play through its Boston, New York, and London productions. Biographical information is presented for Mansfield, Thomas Russell Sullivan, who worked with Mansfield to adapt the novel into a play, and Stevenson. Special attention is given to American theater and popular entertainment during the late nineteenth century, and to the Jack the Ripper murders, which led to the closing of Mansfield’s London production. Appendices include competing scripts staged by Daniel Bandmann and H.B. Irving, as well as reviews of the various productions, transcripts of Mansfield interviews, and excerpts from early biographies of Richard Mansfield.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 2004

Reviews

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive and enjoyable; you forget what melodrama truly is until you read plays (and their reviews and subsequent news coverage) from the latter part of the 19th century. The background of this is expertly researched and cited, while the Mansfield play itself is a brisk and entertaining read. The many appendices fill in the reader on the impact of this Jekyll & Hyde upon the theatre scenes evolving in both London and New York and upon the investigation and public thinking regarding the Jack the Ripper killings. The second and third versions of the play presented aren't as good, but they make fascinating comparisons (which is, of course, the point). The Irving version is overblown, while the Bandmann is laughable in its expository language ("...the execution of my Will, whatever may happen. For you know that you are my executor.") Also, not every history one reads can boast a letter from George Bernard Shaw, Punch cartoons, a poem, and a handwritten letter from a random citizen with his own Ripper murder theory implicating Richard Mansfield. Thanks much to Dave O. for loaning me his copy of this - inspired as we were by a discussion of a photograph.

[Noel Thingvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main frustration with this book is it feels like materials for a great history, but instead of thoroughly assembling and expanding them, they just left the pieces in their separate chunks. And it is a great history, with Richard Mansfield's adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde making for an interesting study of early method acting, copyright issues of the period, rival productions, a pompous yet talented actor who's equally captivating and frustrating, a reclusive and eclectic author, and the staging's wild pop culture overlap with the Jack the Ripper murders. Even Bram Stoker shows up! Seriously, you could make a great film out of this. It's unfortunately delivered to us piecemeal in a series of short yet interesting biographies, then an expanded series of appendices which feature fantastic reviews and articles from the period, I just wish everything had been assembled into more of a narrative throughline instead of jumping all around. Heck, I didn't even realize there were two entire additional play scripts buried in the appendices until I got to them. They really should have had their own chapter headings in the contents.

As for the plays, it was interesting having all three adaptations side-by-side, especially the rival adaptations by Mansfield and Daniel Bandmann. Honestly, they're both pretty equal in quality. Mansfield's is more dynamic, but clunkily structured and hammy at times. Badmann's is looser and messier, but also sharper and punchier with better dialogue and a more interesting romance. I do feel the book shows too much editorial bias in how it states it cleaned up all the typos in the draft it prefers, yet made a point to preserve and demean the typos in the draft it doesn't. That's just cheap and inconsistent, and putting a footnote next to every single typo stating "this is the original typo" just feels petty. Both plays also lose a bit without being able to see the dramatic on stage makeup and lighting changes that highlighted the groundbreaking Jekyll/Hyde transformations.

The best of the three is absolutely the 1910 adaptation supervised by legendary actor Henry Irving, where it feels like the writer is finally expanding upon the philosophies of the story and adding some really great new twists. Mainly that Jekyll is the ultimate and absolute villain, who has already committed selfish wrongs in the past and is trying to use Hyde as a way to assuage his own guilt, only for those past wrongs to resurface, and him to weaponize Hyde as a means to get rid of them. They also finally have an explanation for why Hyde is willing to change back into Jekyll, as a safehouse for him to disappear into after committing his acts of murder. It's a really interesting and intelligently explored angle, and I also like that the romance angle, instead of being a fainting young fiance like the earlier plays, is Jekyll's existing wife, and intelligent woman trying to cut through all the lies around her even as she's been physically blinded by Jekyll's past recklessness. Of the three, it's the play I'd most like to see on stage.

[Steve Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one but 3 early Jekyll / Hyde plays (including THE seminal one), great supporting material, vintage reviews and bios....lots to savor...

(For what it's worth...I found this book invaluable in preparing a related article on Jekyll and Hyde in early cinema).

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I'm working on a book about Jekyll and Hyde adaptations, I couldn't resist this one. It's good but obviously a specialty item — if you're not into the topic, pass it by.
Richard Mansfield's authorized adaptation of the novel was a game-changer, adding a romance for Jekyll — there's none in the original book (barely any women at all) but most subsequent films would include one. There are several specific details that made it into the landmark 1932 version with Fredric March.
The book also includes David Bandmann's knockoff adaptation (much inferior) and a third adaptation actor Henry Irving paid for (middling). There are also reviews and a biography of Mansfield.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

JEKYLL AND HYDE as we know it basically originated from stage adaptations, which added a lot to the original story. If you're interested in that history, you can do no better than this book.