London, 1888. HENRY JEKYLL, a brilliant young
doctor and research scientist, analyses the dual nature of Man--the good and evil (I
Need To Know). He tears himself away from his work to attend a glittering, if
superficial, social event (Facade/Bitch, Bitch, Bitch) celebrating his engagement
to LISA CAREW, the eligible and lovely daughter of SIR DANVERS CAREW, an eminent and
revered figure of London society, a Chairman of the Board of Governers of the great London
hospital to whom Jekyll is about to present the findings of his research. Jekyll expresses
his fears and doubts to Lisa. She reassures him that they will see it through together (Take
Me As I Am).
Jekyll's fears, however, are well-founded. His radical proposals
are totally rejected the following day by the St. Jude's Hospital Committee, chaired by
Sir Danvers (Board of Governors). Jekull insists he has found the key to
seperating the good and evil elements of man's nature, but needs to conduct a human
experiment to prove his theories conclusivley. His ideas are greeted with outrage and
scorn by the high-minded but hypocritical governors. Their unanimous negativity crushes
Jekyll's immediate plans, but not his determination to continue, wiht or with out their
support.
Consumed with anger and frustration, Jekyll walks the dark
streets of London, consoled by his close friend and lawyer JOHN UTTERSON. Jekyll
recklessly decides to drown his sorrows in a bawdy London pub, "The Dregs",
where he encounters and is drawn to LUCY, a sweet-and-spicy, seductive and sympathetic
young lady of the night. (Bring On the Men) They share a drink and a confidence
or two, and an unlikely friendship is born.
Returning home with renewed confidence and determination, Jekyll
convinces himself that the logical and only candidate is himself (This Is the Moment).
Recording his every move in a journal, Jekyll prepares and
consumes his formula HJ7. Within minutes it takes effect-disastrously-transforming the
gentle, quiet, civilized Jekyll into the vain, uninhibited, violent, libidinous monster
EDWARD HYDE (Transformation).
The many remarkable qualities we have come to admire in Jekyll
now gradually give way to his basest animal instincts. In the persona of Hyde, Jekyll
starts to display all of the hidden and repressed evil characteristics of his nature, with
even more devastating consequences.
An impulse guides Jekyll back to "The Dregs". Lucy
senses she knows him, but isn't sure (Lucy Meets Hyde). She is cautious, but she
likes him. Hyde buys her for the night, but quickly becomes violent. Lucy runs away, and a
ferocious fight ensues between Hyde and the other men in the pub. Victorious, Hyde glories
in the power and strength he feels running through him (Alive), and pursues Lucy
into the night.
Back in Harley Street, Jekyll beomces reclusive. Lisa, Utterson
and Sir Danvers are increasingly concerned about him (His Work and Nothing More).
Lucy, unaware that Jekyll and Hyde are the same man, visits Jekyll to show him the
injuries from a violent customer at "The Dregs". Jekyll treats her wounds.
Lucy's feelings forthe good doctor grow stronger (Someone Like You). Little is
she aware of the terror the good doctor's alter ego is about to inflict on London.
ACT 2
The terrifying other half of Jekyll now emerges in its full
horror to wreak a terrible vengeance on society for its neglect and injustice toward Henry
Jekyll. In swift succession, Hyd dispatches five members of the Board of Governors from
thi sworld in the most gory fashion imaginable (Mass / Murder, Murder!). Jekyll's
frustrations are finally geing resolved by his avenging devil, Hyde.
Elsewhere in london, Sir Danvers cautions his beloved daughter
about Jekyll's recent unreliability, though he is motivated by his own reluctance to lose
her (Letting Go), while Lisa and Lucy pine for the man they love (In His Eyes),
unaware of the monster he has become.
The horrendous pendulum swings back and forth between Jekyll and
Hyde, gathering momentum as Jekyll continues to gamble with death, risking everything in
his desperate struggle to achieve his ultimate purpose: the isolation of good from evil in
man. It is, however, driving him slowly but inevitably toward madness (The World Has
Gone Insane).
At "The Dregs" (The Girls of the Night), Lucy
also sees her dreams fading (No One Knows Who I Am). The return o f Hde and their
irresistable attraction to one another make her increasingly aware of the consequences of
such a relationship (It's a Dangerous Game).
Lisa visits Jekyll, incurrin his wrath when he finds her reading
the journal in his laboratory. She leaves, aware that their romance is disintegrating (Once
Upon a Dream - Lisa).
Jekyll is in torment (No One Must Ever Know); the drama
spirals relentlessly upwards, and he strives desperately within himself to revers the
implacable fates that threatn to engulf those nearest and dearest to him- Lisa, Lucy and
himself! He persuades Utterson to revise his will in favor of Edward Hyde, in case he
fails in his last efforts to regain control of the situation.
But fail is what he is doomed to do. He returns as Hyde to
"The Dregs", where a disillusioned Lucy allows herself one last glimmer of hope
(A New Life). She is reading a letter from Jekyll as Hyde enters. Jealous now
even of himself-his other and better person-Hyde stabs her to death and slits her throat
in a fit of murderous passion.
Realizing what he has done, Jekyll is in total despair (Once
Upon a Dream - Jekyll). He destroys his laboratory by fire. Utterson arrives and
meets Hyde. He demands to know where Jekyll is. Jekyll reveals himself and his terrible
secret, and the death of Lucy, to Utterson, and sends him to "The Dregs" to
retrieve his incriminating letter.
Jekyll resolves to make on final supreme effort to overcome
Hyde. He drinks the last of the formula HJ7, looks at himself in the mirror and
sees...Hyde. they engage in a final desperate battle (Confrontation). Who has
won?
A month passes (The Wedding Reception). Jekyll marries
Lisa. All seems well, but at the wedding reception the indestructable Hyde emerges yet
again, and in a final scene of utter mayhem, when Lisa's life is threatened, Utterson
shoots and kills him. The goodness of Henry Jekyll finally drowns in the ocean of evil of
his own creation - Edward Hyde.
- ??
Transcribed by Thomas Campbell
