Call for Auditions for the 2025 Spring Production

Our spring production will be directed by Tia Grün and Claire Edwards:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, from the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

A new version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of depravity, lust, love and horror. On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London, Henry Jekyll’s experiments with exotic “powders and tinctures” have brought forth his other self—Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend. When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to determine who shall be the master and who his slave.

Auditions will be held at St. Ursula’s Church, Jubiläumsplatz 2 in Bern on:

  • Monday evening, January 6th, 19:00 – 21:00
  • Tuesday evening, January 7th, 19:00 – 21:00

If you are not available on these two audition dates, you can note this on the sign up form below and the directors will get in touch with you to try and arrange a separate audition.

Please read carefully the AUDITION INFORMATION below before signing up (red button).

We are looking forward to your audition!

The audition dates are over – if you are interested in a role, you can get in touch with the directors through the ‘audition sign up’ button below.

Audition Sign up

AUDITION INFORMATION

Preparation for the Audition

  • prepare 1 minute monologue of your own choice
  • be ready to spontaneously improvise a short scene (the directors will give a topic).

You do not need to prepare a monologue from the play. If you would like to receive a copy of the play script, please write to upstage_director@upstage.ch

Dates and Availability

Rehearsals: rehearsals will be held twice weekly on Monday and Wednesday evenings. There will be some weekend rehearsals towards the end of the rehearsal period.

The detailed rehearsal schedule will be created after the casting and you will be expected to attend all the rehearsals for your role.

Production Dates: You must be available on the move-in, dress rehearsals and production dates:

  • Move-in, dress rehearsals: Monday, April 21 – Thurday, April 24, 2025
  • Production run 1st week: Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, April 27, 2025
  • Production run 2nd week: Thursday, May 1 – Sunday, May 4, 2025
  • Production run 3rd week: Wednesday, May 7 – Friday, May 9, 2025

Characters and Roles

The adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Jeffrey Hatcher features multiple portrayals of Mr. Hyde, adding complexity to the narrative.

The play is designed to be performed by six actors, four men and two women. Except for the actor playing DR. JEKYLL, each actor will play multiple characters, with four of them (3 male, 1 female) playing different versions of MR. HYDE in different scenes.

DR. HENRY JEKYLL (male)

  • DR. HENRY JEKYLL is a respected and liked doctor in London. JEKYLL creates a potion that transforms him into the malicious and immoral MR. HYDE, allowing him to indulge his darker desires without consequences.

EDWARD HYDE 1 (male), also plays GABRIEL UTTERSON and one minor character

  • EDWARD HYDE 1 represents one facet of JEKYLL’s darker side
  • GABRIEL UTTERSON is a reputable and trustworthy lawyer and close friend of DR. JEKYLL
  • minor character: MAN 1

EDWARD HYDE 2 (male), also plays SIR DANVERS CAREW, RICHARD ENFIELD; O.F. SANDERSON; INSPECTOR and one minor character

  • EDWARD HYDE 2 is another interpretation of the dark alter ego of DR. JEKYLL, often interacting with other characters
  • SIR DANVERS CAREW is a surgical doctor who is fascinated by human corpses and is the innocent murder victim of MR. HYDE
  • RICHARD ENFIELD is a respectable gentleman who first witnesses HYDE’s cruel behaviour
  • O.F. SANDERSON is the private detective tasked with uncovering the truth behind SIR DANVERS CAREW’s murder
  • The INSPECTOR oversees investigating the murder of SIR DANVERS CAREW
  • minor character: MAN 2

EDWARD HYDE 3 (male), also plays DR. H.K. LANYON, POLICE DOCTOR, SURGICAL STUDENT 1 and two minor characters

  • EDWARD HYDE 3 is the dark alter ego of DR. JEKYLL that engages most closely with ELISABETH and also plots against DR. JEKYLL
  • DR. H.K. LANYON is a respected scientist and a former close friend of DR. JEKYLL
  • The POLICE DOCTOR is involved in the investigation of the murder
  • SURGICAL STUDENT 1 is SIR DANVERS CAREW’s assistant
  • two minor characters: MAN 3, DRUNKARD

ELISABETH JELKES (female), also plays two minor characters

  • ELISABETH JELKES is the sister of the LITTLE GIRL and becomes the object of MR. HYDE’s affections
  • two minor characters: WOMAN 1 and OLD WOMAN

EDWARD HYDE 4 (female) also plays POOLE and SURGICAL STUDENT 2, as well as four minor characters

  • EDWARD HYDE 4 is a female version of the dark alter ego of DR. JEKYLL
  • POOLE is a kind and devoted servant to DR. JEKYLL
  • SURGICAL STUDENT 2 is SIR DANVERS CAREW’s assistant
  • four minor characters: WOMAN 2, LITTLE GIRL, HOTEL PORTER and MAID