REVIEW: Dorian, The Wardrobe Theatre Bristol ✭✭✭

Paul T Davies reviews Phoebe Éclair-Powell and Owen Horsley’s play Dorian performed at the Wardrobe Theatre Bristol.

Dorian

The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol

3 June 2023

3 Stars

Presented as part of a festival of work by the Bristol Old Vic MA Directing graduates, Phoebe Éclair-Powell and Owen Horsley’s play makes rather obvious parallels between the fall and trial of Oscar Wilde, and the lead character in his celebrated work The Picture of Dorian Gray. If, as most theatre people do, you know the outcome for both Wilde and Dorian, the play lacks dramatic impetus, lumbering a little towards its conclusion. It’s a nihilistic piece, exposition provided by three characters, and director Phoebe Kemp perhaps doesn’t take time to explore fully the emotional depth of the play. The gain from that is that the show is fast-paced, with three strong performances that engage the audience.

Tommy Belshaw Is excellent as Dorian, with a growing arrogance and indestructibility that infuses the auditorium. Dorian does not use his powers for good and is an unsympathetic, one-dimensional character, but Belshaw does well with the challenges of the role. Gaia Ashwood multi-roles tremendously, particularly as Sybil Vane and Che Tligui is equally good, especially as an emphatic Robbie Ross, whose loyalty is tested by Wilde almost until the end. The actors hold up masks when they switch to narrating both strands, and I found this a little unnecessary, as they are strong enough to draw a sharp distinction between their roles.

Abigail Manard’s set is in synergy with the direction, functional, swift, on wheels and creating strong choreography in the scene changes, although the portrait itself lacked any representation, consisting of a frame with light bulbs, a nice nod to the theatre, and held up to society, but we were given no sense of decay or content. However, the liveliness of the direction and the commitment of the cast is entertaining, and, with homophobia and attitudes faced by the characters sadly still pertinent today, it’s a piece to be seen and resonated fully with the audience.

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