The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
A respected London lawyer unravels the dark connection between the brilliant Dr Henry Jekyll and the sinister, violent Mr Edward Hyde in this Gothic classic about the duality of human nature.
Short — under two and a half hours — and much stranger than its reputation. Most of the book is Utterson, a lawyer, quietly failing to find out what is going on, and the famous transformation is not described until a confession read aloud at the very end. The novel is built out of documents again: Enfield's anecdote, Lanyon's sealed letter, Jekyll's full statement. Casting Jekyll and Hyde as separate voices is the obvious decision and also a risky one, since the point is that they are the same man; the recording keeps them audibly related rather than opposed.
The voices that carry it
Mr Utterson holds the book together. He is cast dry and decent, an unexciting man in an extraordinary situation, which is what makes his discomfort work.
Chapter one plays without an account. Start listening to The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Voice cast
8 characters plus the narrator, each with their own voice. All the voices of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
- Mr. Utterson — A reserved, austere London solicitor and the story's moral compass. Loyal to old friends, he doggedly investigates the Jekyll–Hyde mystery despite his instinct to avoid scandal.
- Dr. Jekyll — A respected London physician of great reputation, warm and generous in company. Secretly experiments on his own dual nature, progressively losing control to Hyde.
- Mr. Hyde — Jekyll's deformed, atavistic alter ego — the uninhibited dark side of his nature given form. Small in stature but radiates menace. Voice described as husky, whispering, somewhat broken.
- Dr. Lanyon — An old medical colleague of Jekyll's — hearty, theatrical, and professionally orthodox. Witnesses Hyde's transformation back to Jekyll and dies of the shock within weeks.
- Poole — Jekyll's devoted, long-serving butler. Speaks with formal British propriety but grows increasingly alarmed as Jekyll's laboratory produces strange sounds and a changed figure.
- Mr. Enfield — A respectable young gentleman and Utterson's distant kinsman. An engaging raconteur who first tells the story of Hyde trampling a child — setting the mystery in motion.
- Inspector Newcomen — A Scotland Yard detective investigating the brutal murder of Sir Danvers Carew. Professional and efficient, recognises Hyde as a wanted man.
- Maidservant — An unnamed housemaid who witnesses the Carew murder from her window. Gives testimony in a state of horror.
Chapters
- Story of the Door
- The Carew Murder Case
- Incident of the Letter
- Incident at the Window
- The Last Night
About this recording
Do Jekyll and Hyde have different voices in this recording?
Yes, but related ones. They are the same man, and casting them as unconnected strangers would undercut the ending, so Hyde is a distortion of Jekyll rather than a different actor.
How long is Jekyll and Hyde?
About two and a half hours in five chapters — the shortest full novel in the catalogue and a reasonable single-sitting listen.