Dorian: A Rock Musical

131 years after the release of The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde’s Gothic novel about a young man trapped in eternal adolescence – the tale is back, though this time as a rock musical, and penned by writer/director Linnie Reedman.

Following the death of his grandfather and no longer bound by the antiquated labels thrust upon him by senior members of his family (which had forced him into confinement and left him with only a handful of books to keep him company) Dorian goes in pursuit of love, and wears his heart on his sleeve in a bid to get one step closer to the world’s most powerful emotion. And so the journey begins – with a visit from Lord Henry (John Addison) while Dorian sits for a painting; he corrupts the teen, introducing him to hedonism and sin so that the naïve Dorian can be enticed to stay young forever.

A century on, Reedman has stuck closely to the script, incorporating the show’s classic themes of vanity, morality and corruption into the narrative’s equation. What has changed, however, is the mechanism through which the story has been told. Joe Evans’s score is largely responsible for this transformation. His understanding of Wilde and his witty nature flow through the lyrics ingeniously. This being said, Evans does indeed manage to add his own touch of magic to the production and breathe new life into it. His Bowie-like flair, seen in opening number Can You Hear Me is a stark reflection of this.

Having been postponed twice due to the pandemic, the play was filmed at a site specific location in the heart of Mayfair, and brought to audiences online.

Ghazaleh Golpira

Dorian: A Rock Musical is available to stream from 16^th July 2021. For further information or to book visit the stream.theatre’s website here.