Box Clever Theatre

This term, the Fourth Form have been exploring Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as part of their GCSE English Literature studies. The novel details the tragedy of Dr Jekyll’s inability to reconcile the two sides of his personality: his public, respectable façade and his true, darker self. 

On the 8 November, the Fourth Form welcomed Box Clever Theatre to Sherborne for a performance of the novel that saw the characters of Dr Jekyll and his sinister counterpart Mr Hyde brought to life before their eyes. Following the show, the boys undertook a short workshop with the company to explore how the actors bring characters to life on stage. With the help of a few props and costumes, the boys worked together to realise the archetype of a Victorian gentleman on stage, culminating in a short scene between Gerald Asafo-Adjei (4e) and Henry May (4d) that depicted the events described in Chapter 9: Dr Lanyon’s horrified reaction to witnessing Hyde’s transformation into Jekyll. 

Harriet Cant, Head of English