Jekyll and Jack

The history of how a stage play became a victim of Jack the Ripper.

In August 1888, American actor Richard Mansfield starred in a stage production of Jekyll and Hyde at the London Lyceum, in London’s West End.

A few weeks later, the first murder victim of a killer, who would become known as Jack the Ripper, was found in London’s East End.

Over the next few weeks, the stories of Jekyll and Hyde and Jack the Ripper became entwined, as the public started to believe the killer had seen the play and acted out what he had seen.

Should the play be pulled, or not?