Joe Perry tackles 2 iconic roles in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Playing one legendarily complex character in a play is hard enough work for most actors.
That's not stopping Calgary actor Joe Perry from playing two in the same iconic show. Perry is one of the stars of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, playwright Nick Lane's adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic.
CTV Morning Live correspondent Adrianna Zhang sat down with Perry Thursday to talk about the show.
Q: Did you know the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde before doing the part?
JP: I find that the narrative of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is found in so many different pop culture references – anywhere from The Nutty Professor to Marvel movies - I mean these are all retellings of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
It's just such an interesting vehicle to explore the duality of humanity, which I think most art is attempting to do anyhow, so – without knowing it, I think we've all been exposed to the Jekyll and Hyde story pretty consistently, but going back to Robert Louis Stevenson's original text, I just went back for the first time before this play – it's been super interesting to get into.
Q. This production is the North American premiere of Nick Lane's adaptation. How do you find it?
A. It's interesting. In the telling of the story, sometimes Hyde becomes this monstrous other thing – who isn't quite a person – but in this adaptation, it's very close between Jekyll and Hyde physically, so finding the differences between the two characters, making them distinguishable, and very separate entities, was a pretty intense challenge. (Director) Javier (Vilalta) has such a beautiful, movement-based esthetic that allows a lot of freedom but also a lot of challenge expressing these characters in a fully-bodied, fully-extended sort of way.
Q. There's a slightly different musical approach in this production from Lane's adaptation. How difficult was that?
A. To be honest, I get the pleasure of being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde more often than I'm playing music (onstage) – there's a little bit (of the play) where I'm playing guitar, but the real musicians, Grant Tilly, Daniel Fong and Ally Lynch, lend such a beautiful tapestry of sound – not only with their voices but also their instruments to underscore the entire story – so I kind of get off the hook a little bit in that regard, but those three, what they bring to the project is so beautiful and unparalleled.
Performances start Saturday at Vertigo Mystery Theatre and run through Oct. 29. For more information about Vertigo Theatre, go here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.