Characters / Jekyll & Hyde

A list of the characters appearing in the musical Jekyll and Hyde.

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Dr. Henry Jekyll

"In each of us there are two natures. If this primitive duality of man - good and evil - can be housed in separate identities, life will be relieved of all that is unbearable..."

An ambitious chemistry scientist who has become obsessed with finding a way to eliminate all evil desires and thoughts from the world, using specific chemical formulae. When he tests the finished formulae on himself, he transforms into the wicked Edward Hyde.

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• Be Careful What You Wish For: Jekyll's entire goal in the first act is to learn how to separate good from evil. When he does so, it results in an uncontrollable split personality that ruins his entire life.
• Berserk Button: Dr. Jekyll has a few - these include proclaiming him as mad, and insulting his father is a bad move.
• Betty and Veronica: A strange case. The more conventional and sweet Emma is wealthy and engaged to Henry, and the more openly seductive Lucy is penniless and Henry's rather oblivious to how much she loves him.
• Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: With Emma.
• BSoD Song: Depending on the production, he can get "The World Has Gone Insane," "No One Must Ever Know," and a reprise of "Once Upon a Dream."
• Byronic Hero: Hard-working, proficient, austere, sophisticated, thoughtful, dark, quiet yet surprisingly passionate about his beliefs, and single-minded; he is a great example of this trope. His life story and situation only intensify it.
• Counterpoint Duet: One of the most awesome examples in Confrontation, in which Jekyll and Hyde trade lines and melodies. One actor plays both parts.
• Deadpan Snarker: "Sensible fellow..."
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: He dies in Emma's.
• Driving Question: His motives are essentially to find an answer to a persistent question of his - "What is it makes Him be less than He should?" Him/he = all of Man.
  Jekyll: I need to find a way to get inside the tortured mind of man. I need to try to separate the good and evil... if I can!
• Driven to Suicide:
  • Utterson was originally supposed to shoot Jekyll which would have made this I Cannot Self-Terminate, but in the final version Utterson balks, forcing Jekyll to run himself onto Utterson's drawn swordstick. Some versions keep Utterson shooting him in.
  • Some variations have Jekyll attempt to kill himself during "Confrontation", however, Hyde doesn't take this well and they fight for control.
• Drunk on the Dark Side: "Reflections," which paraphrases directly from the book, has Jekyll coming to terms with being Hyde even after he's killed people, as he won't kill himself and revels in Hyde's love for life. "Alive" and its reprise also play heavily on this trope.
• Establishing Character Moment: "I Need To Know" defines his character, motives, and ideals in about four minutes.
  • A shorter, more subtle moment is "Lost in the Darkness", where we learn about why Jekyll is trying to destroy the darker side of human nature, less about how.
• Fatal Flaw: His inability to accept the answer 'no'. He's very ambitious and can't see that his method of removing evil from the mind of man has problems abound. Another flaw is how he secretly enjoys being Hyde... at first. This gets him killed.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Melancholic - somewhat introverted, high standards, and very organized; on the other hand, is also very polite, stylish, virtuous, and passionate about his ideals.
• Grief Song: Opening song "Lost in the Darkness", piano ballad "Streak of Madness", and "No One Must Ever Know".
• Heroic Willpower: Jekyll frequently states Hyde is eating away at his sanity every moment and the transformations bring on wracking pain. Even so, he tenaciously tries to find a cure.
• "I Am" Song: "I Need To Know".
• "I Want" Song: Again, "I Need To Know". There's also his showstopper "This is the Moment."
• Jekyll & Hyde: The Jeykyll of the pair, obviously being based on the Trope Codifier.
• Lost in Imitation: Jekyll's romantic travails come from movie adaptations, not the book.
• Mad Scientist: He's directly called this by some characters.
• Mr. Fanservice: In some versions, during "Confrontation," they have Dr. Jekyll ripping off his shirt... which in turn will likely reveal nicely toned abs.
• My God, What Have I Done?:
  • He usually regrets creating the serum as soon as the murders are committed. He even becomes a Death Seeker, hoping and succeeding in stopping Hyde.
  • Many productions will also have a more subtle moment when Lucy comes to him for help after his first night as Hyde and he realizes he's the one who gave her the bruises.
• Painful Transformation: The transformation really, really hurts. Jekyll compares it to death.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Hyde's red.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: In keeping with his standing as a Victorian gentleman, most productions keep him impeccably dressed in all of his appearances; this contrasts him with Hyde, who's usually characterized by a large, shabby coat that covers his suit.
• The Song Before the Storm: "This is the Moment" is set right before Jekyll's first transformation into Hyde. "Confrontation" also counts, because following directly after it is the wedding massacre, in which Hyde possesses Jekyll to start a huge killing spree at his own wedding.
• What You Are in the Dark: Even after Hyde continues to murder people, he keeps transforming into him. Though it's ambiguous if this is because he has the same addiction to the drug that his novella counterpart struggled with.

Mr. Edward Hyde

"There is no battle I couldn't survive, feeling like this... feeling ALIVE!"

Dr. Henry Jekyll's split personality - Hyde is born from a chemical experiment Jekyll tried on himself. Whereas Jekyll is compassionate, idealistic, and a decent-hearted man, Hyde is impulsive, ruthless, and ultimately opportunistic.

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• Badass Boast: A fair deal of Hyde's lines are these.
  • His infamous solo "Alive!" qualifies as this, in both its Concept Album and Broadway iterations.
  • His bit in "Confrontation".
  Hyde: For I'll live inside you forever with Satan himself by my side! And I know that now and forever, they'll never be able to separate Jekyll from Hyde!
• Blood Knight: He absolutely lives for violence against others, especially the ones who've wronged him as Jekyll.
• Evil Counterpart: To Jekyll. In particular, he acts out the desires that Jekyll shows earlier in the musical but too good to act on (such as pursuing Lucy, avenging himself on the board that denied his experiment, etc).
• Evil Is Petty: The 2011 UK Tour had Hyde popping a child's balloons and throwing another kid into a dustbin during "Alive".
• Faux Affably Evil: Hyde will usually put on an act of obviously fake politeness or concern towards his victims, especially if he's planning to kill them. This is especially present in the bar scene, "Lucy Meets Hyde".
  Hyde: Here's to the night!
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Choleric. More animated and lively than Dr. Jekyll, but is extremely aggressive.
• Gallows Humor: He's great at this.
  • "Bad news from God, Teddy!"
• The Hedonist: Hyde loves to get into huge brawls, is presumably a fan of alcohol, and is attracted to a prostitute.
• Jekyll & Hyde: The Hyde, naturally, being an adaptation of the Trope Codifier.
• Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: He had never felt any compunctions about killing people, but he takes a cannonball off the slippery slope in the Final Act, wherein he tries to systematically murder guests at his alter ego's wedding, a massacre stopped only by Jekyll's suicide.
• Large Ham: Dr. Jekyll is very subtle and quiet, so it's no surprise that his alter ego is an enormously hammy person. "Alive" is living proof.
  Hyde: There's no feeling like being Edward Hyyyyyyyyyyyyyde!
• Laughably Evil: Although he is cruel, bloodthirsty, and scary, his hammy behavior and his Deadpan Snarker lines make him extremely entertaining and funny for the audience.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Hyde vs the Bishop of Basingstoke. This draws from his murder of Sir Danvers Carew in the original story, which was, similarly, done with a cane.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Jekyll's blue.
• Slasher Smile: In most productions, if not every one. The recorded Broadway performance in particular will have him display one of these at the end of "Murder! Murder!".
• Villain Song: "Alive" and its reprise.
  • His part in "Confrontation" counts.
  • "Lucy Meets Hyde" assuredly counts, though it is a duet, as does when he reprises "Sympathy, Tenderness" as he is killing Lucy.
• Villainous Breakdown: Although he was never sane to begin with, Hyde goes nuts at Jekyll's wedding, threatening and genuinely trying to kill everyone.
• You Wouldn't Shoot Me: In any version of the musical where Jekyll threatens suicide.

Lisa/Emma Carew

"Henry... I adore you. Always have done, always will do. But I, too, have dreams."

Dr. Jekyll's fiancee, known as Lisa Carew on the concept albums before later productions changed her name to Emma. She is the daughter of Sir Danvers and the object of Simon Stride's affections, though she does not share Stride's feelings.

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• Adaptation Name Change: Lisa in the concept albums, Emma in later productions.
• Betty and Veronica: A strange case. Emma is the more wholesome and sweet Betty, but she's also the wealthy one that Henry is engaged to.
• Counterpoint Duet: Her and Lucy with "In His Eyes".
• The Cutie: Most of her personality is that she's a good woman who cares about Henry and believes in him.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Leukine. Ambiverted, more balanced than the other characters, supportive.
• Grief Song: "Once Upon A Dream".
• "I Am" Song: "Emma's Reasons" and "Take Me As I Am".
• Locked Out of the Loop: She is the only major character to not know about Hyde at all until the final scene.
• Proper Lady: She can put up with a lot of crap, including Jekyll's total devotion to his science, Stride's assholish tone towards her and Jekyll, and, in a way, her father.
• Satellite Love Interest: Emma doesn't have much to her character beyond "Jekyll's Fiancée". She admits as much in the concept albums, saying that while she does have her own dreams, her world revolves around Henry and his dreams.

Lucy Harris

"Heaven I fancy, has no place for me! And I can find hell on my own! "

A prostitute from The Red Rat, who is in love with Jekyll and is dirt-poor. She is also the object of Hyde's affection - as a result, her life is in constant danger. In some versions she is a singer, though her general role remains the same.

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• Bad Girl Song: "Good n' Evil" and "The Girls of the Night".
• Deadpan Snarker: She has her moments.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Choleric. Independent and sassy but badly treated by people, especially her "pimp", Spider/Simon Stride.
• Good Bad Girl: Zig-zagged. Most productions give her songs that indicate she revels in the promiscuous lifestyle she leads ("Bring on the Men" or its replacement, "Good 'n' Evil"), but other scenes and songs indicate she's actually quite miserable underneath it. One thing that's consistent though is her sweet nature.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Lucy has a lot of insecurities and is unhappy with her life. Justified, as she is a poorly paid prostitute / singer and is not only treated poorly but is the object of a bloodthirsty killer's affections.
• Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Was explicitly this in earlier productions; in later versions that make her a singer, the accompanying prostitution is merely implied.
• "I Am" Song: "Girls of the Night".
• "I Want" Song: "Someone like You" and "A New Life". The latter is a depressing example, for she dies directly after finishing the song.
• Loving a Shadow: Lucy knows virtually nothing about Henry at all besides the fact that he is wealthy and doesn't treat her like dirt. Even though he barely remembers her existence, she seems to romanticize him as a way out of her life as a "singer" (or prostitute).
• Morality Chain: Jekyll winds up being one to her.
• The Song Before the Storm: "A New Life" is right before Lucy's murder.
• Tsundere: She's often times a bit fiery and acerbic, but she acts very gentle and sweet when in Dr. Jekyll's company.
• Villain Love Song: She and Hyde duet in "A Dangerous Game", raw with sexual energy.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: In some productions, her relationship with her fellow tavern girls/prostitutes is this, as they tease and mock one another quite openly but seem altogether friendly with one another.

John Utterson

Jekyll's best friend, lawyer, and confidant, Utterson attempts to support his friend however he can. He often acts as the voice of reason, though when faced with Hyde, even he has his limits...

Simon Stride

The secretary to the Board of Governors, Simon Stride despises Henry Jekyll for stealing Emma away from him and vows to ruin his name and life as payback. He had a bigger part in the concept albums; he vowed revenge on Jekyll for stealing Lisa, was revealed as the benefactor of the Dregs, got his own song explaining his philosophy, sabotaged Jekyll's chemicals, and planted Jekyll's letter to Lucy for Lisa to find before being killed at the wedding as Hyde revealed his crimes.

• The Artifact: While he had a much larger role pre-Broadway, in most versions he shows up in one of the first scenes to imply having feelings for Emma, rejects Jekyll's experiment with the governors, and then vanishes completely until the last scene, where he's killed. Some versions reinstate his larger role.
• Evil Feels Good: He originally got "Good 'n' Evil" to explain his philosophy, as he felt being evil was more rewarding and fun than trying to be good.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Simon is very jealous of Jekyll winning Lisa/Emma's hand and makes plans to bring him down.
• Narrator: He holds this role in the Broadway production at least, often joining scenes together this way.
• Shadow Archetype: He is one for Jekyll, as an outwardly respectable gentleman with a seedy double life.

Sir Danvers Carew

Emma's father, chairman of the board at St. Jude's hospital, and Hyde's murder victim in the book. He loves Emma dearly but treats her like a child, and is concerned for her well-being and happiness.

• Ascended Extra: From a mentioned only victim of Hyde to Jekyll's father-in-law.
• Spared by the Adaptation: He's one of the few characters that doesn't die onstage, while in the book he was Hyde's only known murder victim.

The Board of Governors

London's pompous, hypocritical elite, including the Bishop of Basingstoke, General Glossop, Sir Archibald Proops, Lady Beaconsfield, and Lord Savage. They reject Dr. Jekyll's experimental proposal, and soon incur the wrath of Hyde.

• Amoral Attorney: Archibald Proops.
• Asshole Victim: Leading to Black Comedy when Hyde kills them. The worst is the paedophilic Bishop, who receives the first and most violent death, whilst the rest are merely unpleasant and corrupt.
• Dirty Coward: Lord Savage - previously known as Lord Wimpy. He does, however, try to protect Lady Beaconsfield from Hyde's attack and convince Jekyll to flee from potential threats.
• Gossipy Hens: Love to bitch about guests at parties.
• Old Windbag: General Glossop.
• Paedophile Priest: The Bishop. Ironically, the girl that Hyde sees him with is so young that a witness to his last moments mistakes her for his daughter (either that or his indiscretions are being hushed up).
• Token Good Teammate: Sir Danvers. Savage is marginally better than the others but that's not saying much.

Nellie

A fellow worker at the Red Rat, she's Lucy's friend and confidant. She flirts with anyone shamelessly. In earlier concepts she had more negative traits, which were phased out later on or given to Gwenny.

The Spider

Lucy's handler and the benefactor of the Red Rat; he mistreats her and the other girls. In earlier concepts his role was merged with Simon Stride's before spitting them into two.

• Acting for Two: His actor usually plays Lord Savage.

Gwenny

The brothel madam and the Red Rat's stage manager. Along with the Spider, she mistreats Lucy and the other girls. In earlier concepts her role was merged with Nellie's, and in some versions she doesn't exist at all.

• Acting for Two: Her actress usually plays Lady Beaconsfield.
• Gratuitous German: After leading the Bishop's victims away, she shouts at them in a barrage of angry German.

Poole

Jekyll's butler, Poole is generally in charge of letting people in to see Jekyll. He voices concern about Hyde's activities to Emma and Utterson, though he doesn't know the full story of what's going on.

• Old Retainer: He has been with Jekyll since he was a child.

Bisset

The apothecary who supplies Jekyll's chemicals. He had a bit of a larger role in the concepts, as well as a son, Fenwick.