Culture

Written by Oscar Wilde, Adapted for the stage and directed by Vickie Cross. Starring Trubie-Dylan Smith, Samuel Irwin , Kathryn Hurst, Abby Howells, Hannah Port and Lyndon Katene. (4/5)

This adaptation of Wilde’s short story was imaginative, thoughtful and very quaint. It was a joy to watch and it was also very clear that it was a joy for everyone involved. With such a high production standard (and a freakin’ orgasmically taut cyc!!!), nothing could ever have gone wrong. Every production that Cross is involved in, whether as director or stage manager, is seamlessly executed.
 

I would have liked more lines to have been written for the characters themselves to speak, but all-in-all the convention of the narrator worked very well, due in part to the expert casting of the very handsome and delightful Trubie-Dylan Smith in the role. All actors played their parts well, even though many had only very few lines to recite.

 
As Cross explains in the programme, she “intentionally ‘flirted’ with issues of gender and homosexuality” to reflect the trauma and turmoil of Wilde’s private affairs, stating that critical engagement with his work rarely occurs without reflection on his private life (Wiki it; it’s very interesting). Two of the male roles were cast as females and I am struggling to decide if that was her intention all along or if she just needed more actors than she could find...
 

This aside, the piece was stunningly well thought-out and put together. Costumes, set, props, staging, the programmes; everything was intentional, nothing was incidental. It was the perfect piece for a Lunchtime Theatre slot, short, sweet and amusing. More please Vickie!!