Dorian (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

Oscar Wilde

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 91

Beschreibung

Dorian Gray – handsome, hedonistic, narcissistic – sells his soul for eternal beauty. Basil and Henry join him for the ride until it all goes too far, and the hangovers become murderous... Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was a succès de scandale on its publication in 1891, accused of violating the laws of public morality. It immediately captured the minds of its readers, the spirit of the age, and the soul of a man with nothing to declare but his genius. This thrilling stage adaptation by Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley follows one man's descent from glorious debauchery to epic self-destruction, intertwined with Wilde's own life story, his tragic persecution, and ultimate imprisonment in Reading Gaol. Its first full production premiered at Reading Rep Theatre in October 2021.

Leseprobe

Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley

DORIAN

Based on The Picture of Dorian Grayby Oscar Wilde

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Introduction

DORIAN

Afterword

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

DORIAN premiered at Reading Rep Theatre on 13 October 2021, with the following cast and creative team:

ACTOR ONE

Andro Cowperthwaite

ACTOR TWO

Nat Kennedy

ACTOR THREE

Ché Francis

Director

Owen Horsley

Designer

E.M. Parry

Lighting Designer

Simeon Miller

Sound Designer

Jasmin Kent Rodgman

Movement Director

Kloé Dean

Casting Director

Annelie Powell CDG

Costume Supervisor

Fran Levin

Assistant Director

Annie Kershaw

Associate Lighting Designer

Adam Jeffreys

Stage Manager

Eleanor Walton

Production Manager

Jordan Harris

Production Assistant

Jamie Kubisch-Wiles

The Story of DorianPhoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley

In 2017 the lovely folks at the Watermill asked Phoebe to adapt The Picture of Dorian Gray and Owen to direct it for their schools’ tour, the idea being to make something accessible and easy for students who were studying the book. The cast would have to be limited to three actors, with minimal set, lighting and costume. We were excited by the challenge and immediately clicked – we wanted to make something boisterous, comic and irreverent. Our references were Absolutely Fabulous and The Neon Demon – naturally. And we made just that: a fun, frivolous version which potentially lacked the gothic heart of the novel – and indeed the queer perspective that a work of Oscar Wilde’s demands. We always promised ourselves that we would do it again one day and redress some of these glaring omissions…

A few years later, and fate would have it that Paul and Nick – the lovely Artistic Director and Exec Producer of Reading Rep – were opening a brand-new theatre in Reading. They had heard of our Dorian Gray and were intrigued. When we explained that we wanted to expand on it, were totally up for our queer, experimental version. What became immediately clear was that the story needed to be co-written this time. We would use the material Phoebe had adapted from the book for the most part, but only Owen could bring the heart and the authenticity. We also realised that this story, the story of Dorian Gray, cannot be told in full without discussing the context of the time in which Wilde was writing, and indeed what the book meant for Wilde. After all, the book was used as evidence against him in his trial for gross indecency.

It became abundantly clear that we needed to tell Oscar’s story alongside Dorian’s, playing with and exploring the almost spooky parallels of love, loss, truth and disillusion. And also – most notably – punishment and shame. This is a story about Victorian morality and views on sexuality that still preside and cling today. Reading Rep wanted to have an Oscar Wilde in their season because Oscar, of course, went to jail in Reading – and is an icon in the area, albeit for very problematic and traumatic reasons. It felt only right that we told that story on stage – shining a light on how we have tried to glorify a story that actually has a huge amount of sadness to it. And how that story still touches and resonates today.

As such, we have drawn on real-life records of some of Oscar’s trials, as well as a kaleidoscope of titbits from various biographies, letters, documentaries, and the team’s own modern queer stories – creating a sort of living history alongside Dorian’s downfall. This version exposes the queer undertones of the novel and pays homage to the experience of men during the Victorian era who were subject to a law that kept their truth hidden. It is a tapestry of a play that asks the audience to immerse themselves in an ever-changing queer narrative, and to reassess that which we think we know.

But most importantly we wanted to imbue the text with pride, hope, love and, ultimately, queer joy. We hope that this time we have been able to do just that. We hope Oscar likes it.

Charactersto be played by three people

ONE: NARRATOR, DORIAN, LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS (BOSIE), MRS VANE

TWO: NARRATOR, BASIL HALLWARD, JAMES VANE, ROBBIE ROSS, CARSON (PROSECUTOR), NURSE

THREE: NARRATOR, HENRY WOTTON, OSCAR WILDE, SIBYL VANE, ALAN CAMPBELL

Note on the Text

The play blends time and space. Sometimes the narrators introduce a new section, but you could always add more ‘titles’ if you wanted. Music is paramount. Movement and dancing when it feels right. Singing encouraged. Camp mandatory. Queerness, of course.

There should be a constant rhythm. The first half is full-on and energetic; the second more absorbed, ghostly. But there should always be joy.

A forward slash (/) indicates an interruption.

Now the tricky and ultimate question about how to stage the painting – this is up to you. We decided to always place the painting out in the audience, so that people weren’t back acting towards a Hammer Horror painting. We also banned any ‘painting acting’.

Our set designer made a brilliantly massive frame with a fun distorted mirror upstage for our actors to pose/act in, which did indeed get messier throughout the show as Dorian’s soul exploded.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

Prologue

Our three performers are silhouetted onstage. They look marvellous. Drag ball aesthetic. Category is: ‘Posing as a Victorian Sodomite’. They should have microphones.

As they walk the runway, they introduce us to the infamous Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Loud music.

ONE. All art is at once surface and symbol.

TWO. We are posing as three Victorian gentlemen –

THREE. Henry,

TWO. Basil,

ONE. and Dorian.

ONE. More specifically, we are posing as three Victorian sodomites –

TWO. Robbie,

ONE. Bosie,

THREE. and Oscar.

ONE. The Picture of Dorian Gray.

THREE. By Oscar Wilde.

TWO. Published 1890.

TWO. We all know it.

ONE. Or at least you’ve looked up the Wikipedia synopsis.

THREE. Portrait.

TWO. Attic.

ONE. Decadence.

THREE. Sin.

TWO. Et cetera.

ONE. We’ve been telling it for years.

Those who read beneath the surface do so at their peril.

THREE. If they knew who he really was, they would tremble.

TWO. Maybe that’s why we’ve been telling it for years.

THREE. Who knows?

ONE. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.

TWO. That’s you.

ONE. You’re welcome.

THREE. Or maybe it’s the author – after all, Oscar Wilde said himself that –

ONE. Dorian was the person he would most like to be.

TWO. Basil was who he was really.

THREE. And Henry was how the world saw him.

TWO. It would be nice if you liked it – but –

ONE. Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is –

THREE. new –

ONE. complex –

TWO. and vital.

ONE. When critics disagree –

THREE. the artist is in accord with himself.

TWO. The reviews are in –

ONE. ‘Mawkish and nauseous.’

THREE. ‘Unclean.’

TWO. ‘Effeminate.’

ONE. ‘Contaminating.’

THREE. ‘Why must Oscar Wilde go grubbing in muck heaps?’

TWO. Five hundred words were removed before its next publication.

ONE. Wilde himself removed anything that might be considered… Well, gay…

ONE. We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it.

THREE. The only excuse for making a useless thing –

TWO. is that one admires it intensely.

THREE. Oscar fucking Wilde.

TWO. A martyr.

ONE. A saint.

THREE. A sinner.

ONE. An artist.

TWO. A husband.

THREE. A lover.

ONE. A father.

TWO. A homosexual.

THREE. An alcoholic.

TWO. A genius.

THREE. A prisoner.

TWO. A slur.

THREE. A fucking fridge magnet.

ONE. Scene One.

Drawing room. London. Eighteen-something.

Basil and Henry stand, staring at the portrait of Dorian Gray.

TWO. Oh and before we begin –

THREE. Please remember that –

ONE. ALL ART IS QUITE USELESS.

ACT ONE

HENRY. So this is it – Basil.

Your newest painting –

BASIL. Yes.

HENRY. It’s your best work, you simply must show it at the Grosvenor –

BASIL. It can never be shown, Henry… it has too much… too much –

HENRY. / Lust.

BASIL. / soul in it –

HENRY. Whatever – He’s pretty.

BASIL. He’s more than that.

HENRY. Yes – he’s young – perfectly youthful – where on earth did you pick him up?

BASIL. A party – he entered the room and I knew… that he was… special.

He’s the grandson of Lord Kelso –

HENRY. Oh that filthy rich sadomasochistic pile of sideburns… didn’t he tragically banish his daughter – shame, I hear she was stunning.

BASIL. Yes the poor boy was brought up all alone in an attic.

HENRY. Quite right, children should be kept out of sight at all costs.

BASIL. How are yours?

HENRY. No idea… So tell me – how many times have you had him… sit for you?

BASIL. I have barely let him leave the studio – he is my muse.

HENRY. I can’t wait to meet him –

BASIL. I don’t want you to meet him.

HENRY. You don’t want me to meet him?

But – he’s coming here, isn’t he – you said –

BASIL. Please, Henry – Dorian Gray is my best friend. If you met him you would no doubt spoil him. So I would like you to leave –

HENRY. What nonsense you talk –

BASIL. Please.

DORIAN. Basil?

HENRY. Too late – You must introduce me now.

DORIAN. Sorry I… I didn’t know you had company –

BASIL.…Dorian – This is… This is Woots.

DORIAN. Woots?

HENRY. A bit of a nickname from the old Oxford days, know what I mean. Henry Wotton.

Charmed, enchanted and all that – let me touch your hand, don’t be shy.

DORIAN.…I’m Dorian Gray.

HENRY. I know exactly who you are, dear.

And may I say, Basil – the painting is good but the real deal is even more delicious.

DORIAN. Pardon?

BASIL. Nothing.

He’s just drooling over you.

We’re jealous you see.

We’re old and you’re young.

DORIAN. Hardly.

Okay, a few years –

HENRY. Decades.

DORIAN. – younger than you but really what’s age?

HENRY. Everything.

BASIL. Woots –

HENRY. Sorry – but he deserves to know exactly what he’s got. Or did you want to keep him stupid? Wanted to keep him a little bit dumb and pliable…

BASIL. Woots is a terrible influence – so don’t believe a word he says –

HENRY. Why, Basil, you know that you used to believe everything I say…

DORIAN. Do I have to pose for you, Basil?

HENRY. Pose?

BASIL. Yes, you stand here and we –

HENRY. Look at you.

Like a piece of me–/at.

BASIL. Art…

DORIAN poses.

Thank you, Dorian…

HENRY takes out a cigarette case or cigarillos/cigarettes and proceeds to smoke.

HENRY. I know you hate the smell, Basil, but I’m having one – Dorian?

DORIAN. No I don’t smoke… So… are you really as bad… an influence as Basil says you are?