The Picture of Dorian Gray at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Sarah Snook is mesmerising in the new stage adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, now playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. This new retelling of an old classic adds a modern twist and injects an electric energy into Oscar Wilde’s beloved story with the timeless lesson of substance over beauty. Under the guise of a one-woman show, the play is a masterclass in the creative implementation of modern technology into classical literature and theatre. While Snook performs all the characters by herself, the production uses screens, pre-recorded audio and pre-taped sequences to add layers to the performance. The combination of Snook’s extravagant charisma alongside the visual spectacles makes for an immersive and extremely entertaining experience.

The show starts simply with a single big screen in the middle of the stage and Snook behind it, surrounded by cameras. Everything comes to life as her image takes over and she begins narrating the familiar tale of Dorian Gray. Dorian is a boy influenced by the adults around him who are obsessed with his beauty and youth. Taken by all of their praise, he wishes on his portrait to stay young forever, in exchange for his soul. Even though Snook is not personally looking at the audience, her image on the screen is, and there’s something very uncomfortable and intimate about that.

It adds a layer of tension between her and the viewers that punctuates Dorian’s relationship with the portrait drawn of him by Basil Hallward. Even more so because every time the characters, and Dorian specifically, mention the portrait, they are pointing at the audience. It’s as if the ones watching are a reflection of him and his sins. This is further emphasised by other forms of breaks in the fourth wall. Snook even interacts as Dorian with the narrator, often berating them for trying to assume control of telling his story.

Two strong themes present in Wilde’s writing are hedonism and the narcissistic obsession with youth. It’s this contrast between what makes a person young and pure: their appearance, untainted by the curves and wrinkles of age, or the individual within, who strives to do the right thing and whose actions are unmarred by the sensual pleasures of life. The play explores these themes through some of their more modern representations, specifically the obsession with phones and curating an image online.

There are exhibitions of social media filters that transform one’s appearance, and face-tuning apps that edit photos once they are taken. It’s a very effective callout of Dorian’s hypocrisy: how he recoils at his portrait, with the marks and scars of his sins, yet willingly poses for various self-taken images. The experience is even more jarring for the audience as the screen oscillates between what Dorian looks before and after the filters are applied, giving them a small glimpse of what his ageing picture might appear, even though it’s never actually shown.

While Snook is wonderfully entertaining in all her multiple roles and the script is grippingly funny, the true heroes are the production crew. From the camera operators and costume designers to those behind all the visuals shown on screen, they are the ones who truly bring this play to life.

The seamless blend of the old and the contemporary, of practical and technological effects, showcases the magic that can be done onstage despite a limited cast. The Picture of Dorian Gray is an excellent piece of theatrical marvel that puts at the forefront the age-old lessons of substance over beauty, and the purity of youth.

Mae Trumata
Photo: Marc Brenner

The Picture of Dorian Gray is at Theatre Royal Haymarket from 6^th February until 11^th May 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.