The Picture of Dorian Gray

This was an inclusive production developing Progress Theatre’s commitment to welcoming actors from diverse communities into the world of performance and very significant when you consider how attitudes towards inclusivity have changed since the 1890’s when Wilde was alive. In this production actors from the LGBTQ+ community, those with learning and physical disabilities, the neurodivergent and the neurotypical came together to present a cohesive and moving production of the play which both challenged and entertained.

Together, the directors brought another clever and thought-provoking play to the Progress stage, combining ‘queer literature’ and homoeroticism with inclusivity. The production was strong, creative and very well delivered. All of the characters had been well cast and together the directing team and actors had clearly worked hard to understand the characters and how they fitted into the story. The main trio were very strong and worked extremely well together with natural and believable characters and relationships. The chorus of narrators were also very strong, and their delivery of the story was well paced. This is the second fully inclusive production that the directors have produced together, and they clearly have a strong commitment to working with actors from diverse backgrounds, allowing extra rehearsal time and adaptations to ensure that all the actors were well supported and performances confident and seamless. 

The stage had been well designed with a range of acting spaces and different levels to add interest and emphasis which allowed the narrators to create some interesting stage pictures and the while cast space to move. Using projected distorted faces complimented the portrait’s gradual distortion and were a very good medium to emphasise the deterioration of Dorian and his story.

This was another excellent production which embraced inclusivity enabling actors from all backgrounds to work together.

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