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t h e a t r e

The portrait which Basil Hallward painted of Dorian Gray revealed the face of an Adonis, and when he saw the finished picture of himself, the beautiful young man exclaimed, "Why should it keep what I must lose? Oh if only the picture could change, and I could be always what I am now." His perverse desire was strangely fulfilled. Abandoning himself to every sin which his profligate mind could devise, he brought misery and disgrace on all who accepted his companionship, but Dorian Gray remained serenely beautiful.
It was on the portrait locked away in his attic that the marks and degeneration mysteriously appeared, for the painting slowly transformed into the likeness of a satyr.
This celebrated fantasy is developed as vividly as one of Edgar Allan Poe's macabre mysteries, the climax fulfilled by murder and suicide. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" ranks as a terse and full-blooded story of moral corruption which shocked outraged reviewers with its preface "All Art is quite useless."
A brand new adaptation by Trevor Baxter who recently starred at Windsor in "The Circle."

TO BE GIVEN the chance to discover more of Oscar Wilde's genius in a rarely produced play, delivered by such a distinguished cast, is indeed a rich feast. So audiences should be leaving the Theatre Royal Windsor sated after enjoying the experience that is 'Dorian Gray.'
Trevor Baxter's new adaptation of Wilde's psychological mystery about a beautiful young man who apparently sells his soul to stay young, is enough in itself, but when the cast includes such greats as Alan Bates and Margaret Tyzack, you know it is something special.
And when the title role is played by Alan Bates' own son, even more treats are in store. Benedick Bates is made for the part -- not only does he have beauty but he also has his father's magnetism.
Alan Bates had told me that he didn't think they were alike, but you can see the same power in his son's performance and, although he says they live very separate lives and were just treating this production as a job, not as a family affair, they complemented each other.
The production is indeed surreal - and sometimes sensual; evocative music and echoing voices adding to the atmosphere, while the set is a jumble of fragmented picture frames, illustrating the fragmented minds of the debauched, drug addicts of the day. Even the picture of Dorian Gray, annoyingly (to me) presented as a blank canvas, seems to depict the empty lives they led.
But if most of the production is dreamlike, the scenes featuring the theatrical Vanes certainly aren't.
Margaret Tyzack's performance as the aged thespian, who hopes God will tell his angels she could always be heard, is a real tour de force, a wonderful characterisation of someone who has lived. And the scenes in her dressing room with her children Sybil, played by a fresh and vibrant Sarah Walton, and James (Joe Searby), stand out as colourful and highly amusing and enjoyable while at the same time being moving and thought-provoking.
There are lots of other good performances worth mentioning, not least Rupert Frazer as the artist who paints the picture of Dorian Gray.
'Dorian Gray' runs until July 28 and should not be missed.

It was in 1793 that a new theatre was built in the High Street. The opening play was inevitably a farce called Everyone Has His Faults. It was this theatre which George III invariably attended when in residence at the castle. One side of the lower tier of boxes was reserved for him and his entourage. The King and Queen were provided with capacious armchairs and presented with playbills printed on silk. At the conclusion of the performance, when the King had left the auditorium, there was a wild rush to see if any of these had been left behind as they were highly prized as souvenirs.
Since then the theatre has seen many changes, both in policy and structurally. From weekly repertory with a resident group of actors the company has now evolved to the production of plays, independently cast, each running for three weeks to an average audience of 14,000. Its traditional pantomime is justly famed for inventiveness and spectacle. Various periodic improvements to the interior structure and amenities of the building culminated in the elegant splendour of its present decor, designed by Carl Toms in 1965 and refurbished in 1973 and 1994.
In 1997 the management of the theatre was taken over by the prolific West End impressario Bill Kenwright, who had appeared here as a young actor under John Counsell's management in the 60's & 70's. Subsequently he has co-produced many shows in association with the Theatre Royal, many of which transferred to the West End.