Aahana Swrup
In ‘Jekyll and Hyde,’ the 2015 fantasy adventure series, the city of London becomes the backdrop for an overarching supernatural mystery. The story centers around Robert Jekyll, a doctor who carries the generational blessing, or curse, of a second personality known as Hyde. After living a life of ignorance, his arrival in London, where his grandfather lived and died, opens his life up to an underlying supernatural world around him. Furthermore, it also brings out Hyde, the hidden part of himself. On the latter’s first night out, he finds himself at a seedy bar, the Empire Music Hall, where his paths cross with Isabella “Bella” Charming. Eventually, the bar and its owner both become notable aspects in Robert and Hyde’s narrative. Thus, within this supernaturally charged world, the Empire ends up adding a grounded and period-appropriate flair.
The Empire is a Fictional Establishment That Highlights the Show’s Period Setting
Despite its historic setting, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ remains a largely fictitious work. Although the story has roots in Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella titled ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,’ the series only takes inspiration from the classic dual-personality protagonist and parts of his story. Most other storytelling elements in the show, including the setting, are credited to the creativity of creator Charlie Higson and his team. Empire Music Hall, a shady nightclub that Robert/Hyde frequents throughout the show, is one such element. There are no records of any historic bars or nightclubs that existed in London in the 1930s with a similar name.
While it is possible for a similar establishment to exist, it’s unlikely that it would have any connection to the on-screen music hall. In real life, during filming, Vraitch Vision at Rochester High Street was employed as the exterior of the fictional Empire Music Hall. Nonetheless, outside of the same, the real-life location has no direct parallels to its on-screen counterpart. Thus, for the most part, the Empire remains entirely confined within its on-screen fictitious world. Even so, the location, a staple within the story, heightens the period setting of the series. The bar replicates the atmosphere, visual style, and environment of nightclubs popular in 1930s London. As such, the element, much like other worldbuilding aspects of the narrative, informs the retro setting of ‘Jekyll and Hyde.’
Isabella Charming is a Fictional Character Who Plays a Notable Part in Hyde’s Characterization
The narrative in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ remains starkly split into two similar but divergent perspectives. Robert’s split personality as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde makes it so that his character has a dual relationship with most aspects of his life. The interpersonal dynamics he fosters with people like Garson and Ravi are different depending on whether he’s Jekyll or Hyde. Isabella Charming’s character remains largely tied to the latter personality of the protagonist. The duo has a complicated, will-they-won’t-they romance that is paralleled in Jekyll’s narrative with Lily.
Unlike the latter, who appears to be a mild-mannered lady who doesn’t ask many questions and has few expectations, Bella presents a bolder, more challenging foil. As such, she becomes an effective and seamless part of Hyde’s narrative, blending into his chaotic tendencies with her own. Although many characters in the series, such as Max Utterson and Danvers Carew, have pre-existing roots in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella, the same is not the case for Bella. The character remains entirely fictitious, sporting no literary or real-life counterpart. Even so, much like her music hall, the character emanates the historical period of the 1930s setting through her criminal background. Her criminal life is defined by shoplifting, robberies, and a tight-knit community of other female criminals, all characteristics that female criminals in 1930s London were associated with.
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