On Wednesday 24 January, IPA productions presented the play JEKYLL in our town’s multicultural space to our 3rd CSE and 4th CSE students. A free adaptation of the 19th century classic, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it tells the story of Henry Jekyll, a university student, who is confused and anguished by the constant flux of contradicting advice, opinions and requests he gets from his parents, friends and bandmates… eat this, eat that, do this, do that, play this, play that…For Henry, trying to please everyone, only leads to anxiety and unhappiness. This emotional tension, to which all teenagers can relate in one way or another, is resolved by the realization that he must be true to himself by listening to his own desires and needs first and foremost.
The three-actor cast gave a powerful performance which mainly relied on dialogue and minimal stage elements. Most of our students were able to understand the entire play and some of them were given the chance to ask questions afterward. The company complimented our students by saying their questions were brilliant and well-thought! A more exhaustive comprehension of the play was tackled in class with some tasks and activities.
