Getting kids excited about great writers and great writing can be a challenge; seeing a classic work performed in a theatre can really bring it to life.
Currently at Trafalgar Studios, there’s a special production of one of Oscar Wilde’s most famous works: The Picture of Dorian Gray. The story has been staged many times before, but this version — adapted by Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland and John O’Connor of European Arts Company — has drawn on the original manuscript to produce a version of
Dorian Gray with fresh insights — the version that Wilde always intended us to see.
BritMums sent a daughter and dad (full disclosure: they are related to Holland via marriage) to review it. Over to our reviewer dad:
A family outing to see a classic
The new production of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray was an eye-opening and learning experience for my 12-year-old and a bonding moment for the two of us. I also like to think it will give her a head start in appreciating and understanding this and other works by Wilde that she’ll be reading over the coming years.
The Picture of Dorian Gray at Trafalgar Studios is staged in Studio 2, an intimate theatre that has three rows of fold down double seats on three sides with the stage set right in front. You’re really close to the performers — four of them who play 21 roles between them.
My daughter enjoyed the experience. As a year 7, she hasn’t yet read the book — required reading for every secondary school pupil at some point, surely. “What’s it about, Daddy?” she asked when we arrived, and when I explained that it was about a man who does a deal with the devil to look young forever, she exclaimed, “It sounds exciting!”
Despite the slow start and some quite adult jokes – “I didn’t quite understand why the audience was laughing sometimes” – my daughter was hooked. It provided me with the opportunity to explain in a bit more detail the context of Wilde and his writings and definitely helped her add to her vocabulary. The intimate nature of the theatre – about 80 people, 3 rows deep and the “stage” inside the horseshoe of seats – also kept her connected with the story and characters. I particularly liked the Lord Henry Wotton character, who is exactly what I had imagined a Wilde character to be – witty, erudite and disrespectful. We came away thinking about The Picture of Dorian Gray as a good story and also as part of a fond memory on an interesting visit to the theatre.
What’s new about this version
The story starts slowly – a lot of character building and the intimacy of the venue helps you get to know the players. The rewrite by Merlin Holland now includes some more obvious homoerotic references but they don’t dominate. This is still a good story of a man who quips he would give his soul to the devil if he could retain the looks reflected in the famous portrait. His wish comes true and the journey he takes “down below” on realising that he is to never age is recounted well in the second act. The denouement is a clever bit of theatre, given that the portrait is represented throughout by an empty frame…
Wilde’s insights and writing still feel very fresh, with some very politically incorrect quips ones thrown in. I liked it.
Seeing the Picture of Dorian Gray
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see this note-worthy version of the story. Book now!
Runs through Saturday 13th Feb 2016
Players: Guy Warren-Thomas, John Gorick, Rupert Mason and Helen Keeley
http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-picture-of-dorian-gray/trafalgar-studios/
Trafalgar Studio Two
14 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY
Show Schedule
Monday – 7.45pm
Tuesday – 7.45pm
Wednesday – 7.45pm
Thursday – 3.00pm 7.45pm
Friday – 7.45pm
Saturday – 3.00pm 7.45pm
Sunday – no show
Disclosure: BritMums was provided complimentary tickets to the production. All opinions are the reviewer’s own.
About Jennifer Howze
Jennifer Howze is the Creative Director and co-founder of BritMums. She blogs about family travel at Jenography.net, tweets at @JHowze and Instagrams at @JHowze. Previously, she wrote the Alpha Mummy blog at The Times and as a journalist has contributed to The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, Budget Travel, CNN.com, Allure, SELF and Premiere, among others. She won The Maggie Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for a health article in Seventeen magazine.
JuggleMum, Nadine Hill
Friday 5th of February 2016
Fabulous how your daughter enjoyed the production and has widened her world view with it. We take a lot of care as parents to teach our children very practical things to help them in life but an awareness and understanding of culture and the arts is just as important for their social abilities and intelligence. My daughter is starting to learn Shakespeare at school and I'm interested to hear her interpretations of that. Great post.
Jennifer Howze
Friday 5th of February 2016
Nadine, such a great point -- we teach our children how to live by the way we live ourselves. When we fill our lives with literature, art, culture, we're telling our children that these things are important in their lives (even if they are sometimes resistant!).