Personal article The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
On Tuesday January 19th, I went to see the stage adaptation of the famous novel by Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It's not too much to say that I was really excited, because I appreciate this author a lot for the charming and singular atmosphere which appears in his writings. Moreover, I enjoyed the movie extract we studied in class, the impressive cast, the way it was filmed and the general aesthetic. I certainly hoped that the play would keep the same spirit as the movie adaptation ; because it was almost this atmosphere which I imagined in the passages of the book we studied in class.
Finally, the play was so different from what I expected, and it is definitely the reason why I disliked the adaptation at the Bataclan. Especially due to performance of the actor who played the stunning Dorian Gray ; he looked too capricious and funny. Also, he lacked an imposing presence, he lacked charisma ; it looked as if the actor didn't explore the depths of Dorian's behaviour. It's hard to say that he spoiled the play, but in my opinion it's pretty true.
Nevertheless, I appreciated the place of music in the play. The dreamlike representation of the Sybile's ghost was pleasant ; when Dorian is sitting on a sofa and she is turning around him, she is haunting him, it was very poetic. Also, I think Lord Henry and Basil acted well because for instance, I was able to see the feelings that invaded Basil while he was talking about his meeting with Dorian at the garden party and I imagined the place of the meeting and the magnificence of Dorian Gray, (then, the actor who played Dorian appeared on the stage and I was surprised...).
Last, if the play had been staged in a more serious way, thus making it closer to the novel, the impresario would not have brought a real touch of humour to relax the heavy atmosphere of the story. That's why this character was a good idea.
Célia