By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
London’s atmosphere in the Victorian Industrial Age was borderline poisonous. The numerous factories choked the skyline with coal smoke, the streets and the Thames River were heavily polluted with refuse, housing was dangerously overcrowded, and infectious diseases were rampant. This was perhaps how Robert Louis Stevenson got the idea for his famous 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. How does so much toxicity affect the human mind? What crimes might a person commit if their quality of life is so poor?
Banks is set to direct Jeffrey Hatcher’s stage adaptation of Stevenson’s masterpiece, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and has recently put together a stellar cast. The thespians of the Burlington and Hamilton area will come together to tell the gothic horror tale of a man who changes personalities when he drinks a mind-altering potion. Dr. Jekyll, a stable and reasonably solid citizen, transforms into Mr. Hyde, a brutish criminal who terrorizes the streets of Victorian London.
“Casting of this show was a very enjoyable process. With most actors playing multiple roles, sometimes in the same scene, we needed to find a group of actors who are able to shift in body and voice and intention very quickly and distinctly,” says Banks, on what he was looking for from prospective actors during auditions, which were held on June 6 and 8, 2026, with callbacks on June 11.
Hatcher’s script, described by Banks as a “docudrama” that combines police material evidence with real-life scenes, takes a very unique approach to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s dynamic. Rather than having just one actor play both characters, which is the traditional method of storytelling, Hatcher’s version calls for one actor to play Dr. Jekyll and several actors to play Mr. Hyde. In Hatcher’s version, every time Dr. Jekyll drinks the potion, he becomes someone different. His subconscious is split into multiple personas rather than just two.
Banks has chosen his cast carefully from the local area’s pool of talent. Adam Fleming will star as the titular Dr. Jekyll. The role of Mr. Hyde will be shared between Jerrold Karch, Mike Tadic, Muneer Malik-Noor, and Bianca Cabai. Joining the singular Jekyll and team of Hydes on the Waterdown stage in ever-interchanging supporting roles will be Boyd Blundell, Tina Aurora, Julie Buffet, and Dania Homsi.
“The auditions had each actor prepare a monologue of their choice in their best way, then perform again with seemingly random instruction from the director, demonstrating their ability to drop preconceived scenarios and commit to a new world while delivering the same words,” Banks elaborates. “Flexibility and commitment earned the actors spots in the show.”
Banks promises that, despite the play’s depressing setting and grim premise, his vision as a seasoned director, combined with Hatcher’s exceedingly clever script, will provide some variety in mood for the audience’s viewing pleasure this fall.
“A sprinkle of humour serves the audience with moments to breathe,” Banks says. “Add to all that scenes of yearning for love and demonic violence, this play takes the audience back to Victorian London in all its glory and gruesomeness.”
To make this vision happen, Banks will work closely with stage manager Joy Fournier and assistant stage managers Simon Immonen and Nancy Mleczko, along with a creative set crew. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde will premiere at Village Theatre Waterdown on Friday, October 30, 2026, just before Halloween (impeccable timing). Tickets are set to come out in late September and will be available for purchase on Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s website. Interested theatregoers can regularly check the BPAC website for ticket availability.
