Forbes Masson to Star in JEKYLL & HYDE At The Lyceum
The production, written by Gary McNair, runs from January 13th to 27th, 2024.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Nov. 15, 2023
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh will present the Reading Rep Theatre production as the Scottish Premiere of Jekyll & Hyde starring household name and national treasure Forbes Masson, returning to the Lyceum stage for the first time in twenty years, in the singular, ‘titular' role(s).
Associate artist with the RSC and National Theatre of Scotland, and prolific stage actor, Forbes Masson comes to the Lyceum from recent stints on stage at The Troubadour, Chichester Festival Theatre and Regent's Park.
“Are those little voices in our heads our friends, or our enemies? What if they're neither, what if they're both?”
In this ingenious and hilarious one-person adaptation by Gary McNair, the classic story of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is turned on its head, revealing the depths of one man's psyche and the lengths we will go to hide our deepest secrets. What will happen to a curious mind as it's left to its own devices?
Forbes Masson commented:
"I'm really excited to be coming back to the Lyceum again. It will be the first time I have appeared there in over 20 years. The last play I did there was "The Breathing House" by Peter Arnott, directed by Kenny Ireland, back in 2003. It's great to be working with the brilliant director, Michael Fentiman, once more. I first worked with him at the RSC, where he assisted Michael Boyd on "As You Like It". I then played Katherine in his amazing RSC production of "The Taming of the Shrew" and he also directed my comedy “Crackers” at the Belgrade, Coventry. I can't wait to get started on Gary McNair's thrilling one person version of Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic classic and I'm looking forward to spending time in Scotland again."
Gary McNair commented:
“It's a real moment for me personally to have a show on the main stage at the Lyceum. It's one of those full circle things in that the first time I ever went to the Lyceum was 20 years and it was to see Forbes in The Breathing House. I'd been a big fan of his work on television. I was a 17 year old school kid who loved The High Life but he really wowed me on stage. Ever since that night I've dreamed of putting work on that stage. And, as that dream comes true for me 20 years later, I'm beyond delighted that my first piece at the Lyceum will now be starring Forbes Masson. I'm also absolutely delighted by the symmetry and synchronicity of. So, a few dreams come true all at once… I love the production that Mike and the team have made and I can't wait for it to meet an audience here in Edinburgh.”
David Greig added:
“I've wanted to have a Jekyll and Hyde on stage at The Lyceum for a long time, and I was really thrilled when I saw that Gary McNair, who's one of my favourite Scottish playwrights, had done a one-person version of that story – a very good version as well – which premiered at the Reading Rep Theatre last year.
“Forbes taking on the role is the most outstanding casting - and I'm delighted he has agreed to come and light up our winter nights this January with his premiere in the role. Forbes is one of Scotland's most loved stage actors, he's compelling and charismatic - it's great to have him back in Scotland and it's going to be electric to see him play these iconic roles…”
About Forbes Masson
Forbes Masson trained at RSAMD in Glasgow (now The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).
Theatre includes: Farm Hall (Jermyn Street Theatre/Bath Theatre Royal & tour); Newsies! (Troubadour Theatre); The Taxidermist’s Daughter (Chichester Festival Theatre); The Magician’s Elephant, The Boy in the Dress, Macbeth, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Histories, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Grain Store, Morte d’Arthur, The Pilate Project, Ahasverus, Tender Thing (RSC); Summer and Smoke (Almeida/Duke of Yorks); Little Shop of Horrors (Regent’s Park); Travesties (Menier Chocolate Factory/Apollo Theatre); Mr Foote’s Other Leg (Hampstead/Theatre Royal Haymarket); Doctor Faustus (Duke of York’s); Macbeth, Richard II, The Ruling Class (Trafalgar Studios/Jamie Lloyd Productions); Big Fish (The Other Palace); King Lear (Liverpool Everyman/Young Vic/Headlong); The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Kensington Gardens); Bartholomew Fair, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Boudica (Shakespeare’s Globe); Dumbstruck, Terror (Lyric Hammersmith); Art, The Breathing House, Stiff (Lyceum Edinburgh); As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet (RSC Residency in New York); Life of Stuff (Donmar); Laurel and Hardy (Edinburgh Festival/Wellington Festival NZ); The Trick is to Keep Breathing, The Real World, Cinzano (Tron Theatre Glasgow).
Television: The Crown (Netflix); Royal Mob (History); As You Like It (CBeebies/Globe); Irvine Welsh’s Crime (BritBox); EastEnders, Father Brown, Doctors, Shetland, Monarch of the Glen, Rab C Nesbitt, City Lights, Hamish Macbeth, Dead Boss, Supergirly, Red Dwarf, The High Life (BBC); Taggart (STV); Catastrophe, The Young Person’s Guide to becoming a Rock Star, Halfway to Paradise (Channel 4).
Radio: Doctor Who-Wages of Time, Doctor Who-Girl Interrupted, Jago and Lightfoot (Big Finish); The Rise of the Nazis, Macbeth, The Tempest, Nuremberg, Catastrophic Injury, Behind Closed Doors, The Red Gauntlet, Waverley, The Fair Maid of Perth, The Quest of Donal Q, Stevenson in Love, Pinkerton, Conan Doyle-A life in Letters, To Throw Down God, Scones and Tea with V and B, The Forbes Masson Half Hour (BBC); Raj (Audible); The Marlowe Sessions (L6L21).
Films: The Road Dance; Gypsy Woman.
Other work: Stiff (Tron/Lyceum), The High Life (BBC); Victor and Barry (Edinburgh Festival/Donmar/ Sydney Opera House); Mince (Dundee Rep); At Home with Feste (RSC); Jack and The Beanstalk, Cinderella, Weans in the Wood, Snow White (Tron Glasgow); Crackers (Belgrade, Coventry).
Forbes is an associate artist with the RSC.
Twitter and Instagram @forbesmasson
About The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh is the leading producing theatre in Scotland and one of the United Kingdom’s most prolific theatre companies. Our beautiful, intimate Victorian theatre was built in 1883 and has played a significant role in the cultural and creative life of the city and surrounding area for over 140 years.
Since 1965, the current Lyceum company has developed a reputation for innovative, high quality theatre, drawing upon the considerable talent in Scotland as well as developing award-winning work with partners across the globe to make theatre in Edinburgh that can speak to the world. We believe that making and watching theatre together is life enhancing. We are committed to being a theatre rooted in our community, a truly civic theatre entertaining, challenging and inspiring all the people of Edinburgh.
To reach the widest possible audience we find new ways to open our doors and stage to the public, as well as reaching out into Edinburgh’s schools and neighbourhoods with a range of programmes taking place beyond our walls. Under Artistic Director David Greig, The Lyceum has continued to seek out new artistic partnerships, casting hundreds of local citizens in our main stage productions. We have made work with Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne; DOT Theatre, Istanbul; Bristol Old Vic; National Theatre of Scotland; Citizens Theatre; Scottish Dance Theatre; Stellar Quines; The Old Vic, Lung Ha Theatre Company and Fuel.
For the latest information about The Lyceum visit lyceum.org.uk
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