By James V. Ruocco
"Dorian was a very special person to me. What happened to him was just tragic."
Originally published in serial form for "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine" back in 1890 and then as a novel the following year, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, embodies 19th century narcissism, decadence and obsession as it collectively portrays the loss of youth, the corruption of the mind, the descent of moral degradation and the perversion of ethics, self-indulgence and influence as seen through the eyes of the title character.
A fascinating work infused with weight, detail and veracity, the novel is a towering achievement as forceful and demanding as it is chilling, eerie and wildly inventive. It also contains the signature wit, flamboyance, energy and incandescent dazzle Wilde was famous for.
The story itself pinpoints the cryptic journey of the title character who, after admiring a full-length portrait of himself, sells his soul for the right price and remains forever young while the actual portrait ages and records every sin and every poisonous act he commits with an ugliness from which there is no escape.
"The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul."
In the Barn Theatre's modern take (this adaptation was written by Henry Fillous-Bennett), on Wilde's prolific fantasy fable, co-produced with the Oxford Playhouse, the New Wolsey Theatre, the Lawrence Batley Theatre and the Theatr Clwyd, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is set in 2021 right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and a world where social media is the name of the game - ugly, straightforward, grounded, loud, obsessive and shameful.
The big question: By abandoning the Victorian setting and mindset of the original novel, does this production actually work?
You bet it does.
Ambitious.
Reflective.
Homoerotic.
Immediate.
Truthful.
Radical.
The Faustian-like undercurrents and conceptualization of this fascinating new work not only give it the bite, sting, shock and purpose it deserves, but shrewdly frame the artistic ground and stratum of the presentation with compelling observation, style and illumination. To miss it would be the ultimate original sin.
Written by Henry Fillous-Bennett, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" evokes recognition and timeless essence as it moves through our minds, scene by scene with a rawness, honesty and consciousness that serves the material well. Immediately, we are thrust into the story, so much so that it's impossible to look away. Bennett, in turn, offers thoughts, conversations, musings and arguments weighted by language that is skillful and imaginative.
It's a potent mix of this and that with storytelling that reflects and respects Wilde's conceit, his quandaries, his decadence and his preoccupation with both heterosexual and same sex couplings. Oddly, there is no physical painting of Dorian, but Bennett has other ideas that enhance the character's advancement, his ugliness and the decaying of his soul, mind and body, which eventually lead to his death. It's a creative progress that is well worked and well thought out.
"There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up."
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is being staged by Tamara Harvey whose directorial credits include Tim Rice's "From Here to Eternity: The Musical," "Uncle Vanya," "Educating Rita," "Pilgrims," "Closer," "Breeders" and "Dancing at Lughnasa." An intuitive director whose fresh take on theatre is fraught with truth, nuance and opportunity, Harvey charts Dorian Gray's descent into darkness with invention, fervor, vibrance and capability. She always knows what buttons to push and push them she does.
As director, she takes chances and runs with them. She surprises, cajoles and shocks. She slaps you in the face and gets you all riled up. She kicks you in the ass. She pushes you over the edge. She messes with your mind. She catches you off guard. She turns you upside down. She entertains. She keeps you guessing. She grabs you by the throat with her crafty interventions. And then there are times, when you never quite know what she's thinking, a conceit that heightens both the theatrical experience at hand, it's interplay, the drama and its storyboard of ideas, thoughts and confessions.
But she doesn't stop there. Working side by side with her crew of camera operators and editors including Benjamin Collins (director of photography), she creates a wild, staggering portrait (no, pun intended) that preys upon and rips apart social media, its obsessions, its egocentrics, its mind games and its tempting, provocative allure. It's all very much in the moment: selfies, Zoom, flashbacks, documentary style interviews, texts, clicks, chats, tweets, artsy edits and camera trickery, flirtations, sexual interplay, split screens, likes, dislikes, numbers, etc. That said, it's all smartly controlled and edited with a voyeuristic style and propulsion that draws you in immediately and keeps you there until its savvy, justified conclusion.
"I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them."
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" stars Fionn Whitehead as Dorian Gray, Joanna Lumley as Lady Narborough, Alfred Enoch as Harry Wotton, Emma McDonald as Sibil Vane, Russell Tovey as Basil Hallward and Stephen Fry as the Interviewer.
Fionn Whitehead plays the pivotal role of the narcissistic, bisexual Dorian Gray (in this telling, he is intrigued by both men and women) with a chilling rage and eerie calm and numbness that is exactly right for the character. He is sexy. He is charming. He is personable. He is real. He also makes Dorian's obsession with social media - in this case, his YouTube channel - a dominant factor in his life, which, in turn, works especially well, given the production's documentary-like influences and elasticity. They don't get any better than Joanna Lumley, cast in the part of Lady Narborough, Dorian's most ardent admirer and friend who spends a great deal of time on camera being interviewed by Fry's character. It's a polished, mannered performance that intrigues and fascinates in true social media fashion.
As Henty Wotton, the aristocratic antagonist of the story, Alfred Enoch intrigues, preys, flirts and seduces with apparent innovation and purpose. Emma McDonald, in the role of actress Sibil Vane, aptly projects the insecurity, angst and vulnerability of a young woman pushed to the brink of suicide once she discovers that Dorian no longer loves her. Russell Tovey, as Basil Hallward, the artist obsessed with Dorian, offers a completely plausible performance, marvelously conveying the character's infatuation, pent-up desires and anxiety. As the Interviewer, Stephen Fry's investigative line of questioning makes his otherwise brief screen time completely memorable.
Clever, intriguing and digitally connected, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is an ambitious, collaborative effort that pays homage to Oscar Wilde's original story, its flamboyance, its engagement and its iconic madness, It is one of the UK's finest theatrical achievements hitting highs with its artistic savviness, its willfully perfect direction, its multi-layered performances and its highly credible glimpse of life during the pandemic as time marches on with uncontrolled mania and uncertainty.
"Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the caveman had known how to laugh, history would have been different."
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" can be streamed online, now through April 17, 2021. Tickets are £12. To book the production, go to barntheatre.org.uk. Once you purchase your ticket, you will receive a booking confirmation that includes your screening link. It is active from the date you book the production for viewing and will expire after 48 hours.
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