THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY to Play Greenwich Theatre

Greenwich actor Peter Craze is returning to Greenwich Theatre this month as director of the first stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray since John Osborne's TV dramatisation in 1976.

Peter - who has lived in Westcombe Park with his actor wife Illona Linthwaite for 36 years - previously directed The Governor at Greenwich Theatre and acted in Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray is on a 10-week tour and will be at Greenwich on May 29, 30 and 31," said Peter. "I'd helped the company, European Arts, on one of their productions for a couple of days as an emergency and they seemed to like my style. Then last year we did a big production of The Trials of Oscar Wilde compiled by Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson, and producer John O'Connor. We filled Greenwich Theatre and after the Trafalgar Studios saw it, we transferred to the West End.

Peter, who will be 69 in August, hasn't watched the Osborne version and wouldn't want to see any other productions either.

"I always find that doesn't help at all," he said. "It's okay to watch them afterwards to see if you missed anything, but not before. It's been adapted from scratch and it's very good and works well. It's very authentic and what's interesting for me is not only the repression of the Victorian era, which includes Oscar Wilde being jailed for homosexual activities - what they called 'gross indecency' - but the fact that it was published as early as 1890 in Lippincott's Magazine in New York.

"He had to rewrite it for publishing here because Lord Henry, of course, was a depiction of Wilde himself. The book was also prophetic because one of the characters was shot and killed, and years later the brother of Wilde's lover, Lord 'Bosie', died the same way."

Peter sees the plays themes as very relevant today. He said: "The corruption of a youth is the important thing for me, particularly Lord Henry feeding the boy what was known as the yellow book, leading on to opium and all the rest of it. It's similar to what some kids seem to be suffering today on social media.

"We showed it to an audience in Gravesend with a large group of sixth formers - it was on the syllabus there - and they were riveted by it. They were watching a period piece but they completely identified with the corruption of this youth being led on by a nasty man.

"There are four actors and they play about 18 parts, including the four main characters. We played one date and someone in the audience couldn't understand why all the actors weren't there for the curtain call!"

Peter was principal of the Drama Studio London - training Emily Watson among others - for nine years up to 2012, when he suffered a stroke. "I worked hard for nine months on rehab and was suddenly on a plane, on my own, to work in Chicago. It was all about getting my confidence back. This play and future work is my incentive to get better."

James Haddrell, Greenwich Theatre's Artistic & Executive Director, said: "European Arts' first show for us seven years ago was The Picture of Dorian Gray, which I thought was brilliant, and we've worked with the company over the years since then. The Trials of Oscar Wilde last year was very successful and we nominated one performance as a fundraiser for Stonewall, the gay rights charity. We are doing the same with this production, with thirty per cent of the box office receipts on May 31 going to the charity, so we're hoping for a huge turn-out."

Peter Craze added: "It's a difficult play to stage because so much of it is in the imagination, particularly the boy looking at the ageing picture. But I think we've got it and Guy Warren-Thomas as Dorian Gray is just terrific. There's a very nice ending which works theatrically, but I won't give it away!"

*The Picture of Dorian Gray - Friday and Saturday, May 29 and 30 (7.30pm); Sunday, May 31 (6pm). Tickets £18.50 (Cons £16) inc £1 booking fee.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Fri 29-Sun 31 May 2015

Presented by: European Arts Company Adapted from the novel by: Oscar Wilde Adapted by: Merlin Holland and John O'Connor ? ? Performance times: Fri & Sat 7.30pm
Sun 6pm Ticket prices: £18.50 (Concessions £16)
(£17.50 & £15 ticket plus £1 booking fee)

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