Mates founder Terri Paddock will chair a post-show discussion for the London premiere of The Tragedy of Dorian Gray, Blue Devil Theatre’s updating of Oscar Wilde’s classic, at the Drayton Arms Theatre on 23 October 2021. Time to get booking!
Oscar Wilde’s classic 1890 novella is brought to theatrical life to Swinging Sixties London care of Blue Devil Theatre, after their earlier literary page-to-stage adaptations of Apparatus and The Geminus.
It’s 1965, the world has changed, and London is swinging. In a studio in Chelsea, a young man is about to have his portrait painted. From there, Dorian’s story of fame, vanity, lust and corruption takes us on a twisted odyssey through heartbreak, betrayal and a touch of bloody murder.
Multi-award-winning The Tragedy of Dorian Gray, adapted and directed by Blue Devil’s artistic director Ross Dinwiddy, comes to London after sell-out previews in both Brighton and Hastings Fringe Festivals. This tense and compelling yet darkly humorous reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s classic tale was the winner of the OffFest Award from the Offies at Brighton Fringe 2021.
★★★★★ “This is an excellent adaptation – it sticks a grubby fingernail into the canvas and twists into its cruel heart. Positioning Dorian Gray as the queer classic it is, this version is harsh and uncompromising, but also celebrates difference and freedom” – Louise Penn, Lou Reviews
Maximus Polling reprises his performance in the title role. The cast also features Jordan Louis, Christopher Sherwood, Conor Litten, Chloe Orrock and Heather Alexander.
Following the 3pm matinee performance on Saturday 23 October 2021, I’ll talk to writer-director Ross Dinwiddy and the cast of The Tragedy of Dorian Gray about Oscar Wilde and more. Any questions? Join us!
Terri Paddock founded WhatsOnStage.com and the WhatsOnStage Awards, running the company and its events from 1996 to 2013. Terri is also the author of two novels, Come Clean and Beware the Dwarfs, and has previously written for the Evening Standard, Independent, The Times and other national publications. She is renowned for her 'legendary' post-show Q&As and also produces the annual Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and acts as a digital, content strategy and event consultant for theatre, producers and other clients. She tweets about theatre at @TerriPaddock.
