Immersive Theatre Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray at “Dorian Gray’s Townhouse”

Creative Director (Samuel Orange) and Dorian Gray (River Hawkins)

The Picture of Dorian Gray Creative Director (Samuel Orange) with Dorian Gray (River Hawkins)

Over the weekend, I caught a press night performance of The Alchemic Order’s production of the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray. An immersive piece of theatre set in an actually lived-in Georgian townhouse, the play served as an excellent opportunity to enjoy a piece of great literature brought to life while getting to snoop round a bit in someone else’s home.

Director Samuel Orange (brother of Take That’s Jason Orange, who was in attendance the night I went) presented an intriguing adaptation of Dorian and despite a few foibles and liberties achieved a fantastic rendering by striking the right (and rather eerie) tone expressing deep appreciation for his material.

Acting varied in quality, but Wilde’s language more than carried itself and even a cold reading from people unfamiliar with this modern fable of vanity would have compelled. Set design by architects Feix&Merlin made smart use of interiors and exteriors, even offering a few “ooh ah” moments to the performance and utilising the space in such a way as to effectively transform the house into an integral character.

The Picture of Dorian Gray runs Tuesday to Saturday until the 28 September at an undisclosed location within a few minutes’ walk of Greenwich rail and DLR stations. (exact address revealed upon booking). Tickets are £35 (£25 on Tuesdays) and include wine and nibbles upon reception as well as at intermission and at the end of the play. Find out more and make a booking at thealchemicorder.com.

About tikichris

Chris Osburn is the founder, administrator and editor of tikichris. In addition to blogging, he works as a freelance journalist, photographer, consultant and curator.
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