In 1888, Richard Mansfield played Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in a stage production at a time when Jack the Ripper was murdering women. A theatre-goer wrote to the police accusing him of the murders because his stage transformation from a gentleman to mad killer was so convincing.

Richard Mansfield

For the cricketer, see Richard Mansfield (cricketer).

Richard Mansfield

Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Life and career

Mansfield was born in Berlin and spent his early childhood on Heligoland, Germany, an island in the North Sea, then under British rule. His parents were Erminia Rudersdorff (1822–1882), a Russian-born operatic soprano, and Maurice Mansfield (died 1861), a British London-based wine merchant. His grandfather was the violinist Joseph Rudersdorff. Mansfield was educated at Derby School, in Derby, England, where he studied painting in London. His m… Continue Reading (5 minute read)