The much-lauded Oscar Wilde classic gets a new imagining in this spectacular adaptation. The whole production is a finely orchestrated spectacle and this could be amongst the theatrical events of the year. Ostensibly telling the story of a young man who doesn’t age whilst his portrait does, this piece of theatre delves into and explores the themes and crux of Wilde’s work with virtuoso dexterity.

Kip Williams’ adaptation and direction are vibrant, energetic and still truthful to the source material. A focus on live streamed recording and comparisons with modern social media vanity are present throughout and the whole production seems to have a beautiful flow more reminiscent to a ballet that’s been finely choreographed and orchestrated than your typical one woman show. With a variety of ideas and visual devices used, in the hands of a lesser director this production could feel muddled. Instead, it feels composed.

At the very beginning we are greeted by a giant projection screen in the centre of the stage which initially appears to hide much of the action but this is actually essential to ease us into the impressive tech wizardry at work. I was worried at the outset that I may be overexposed to a tech gimmick or an imitation of the Jamie Lloyd companies forays into using camera in performance, but this could not be further from the case. It’s almost impossible to separate the work of Marg Howell (Scene and costume), David Bergman (Video), Nick Schlieper (Lighting) and Clemence Williams (Sound) as they all work so finely together to create an environment that not only enhances and supports the performance but is also integral to it.

The giant canvasses that move around the stage projecting streams of Snook’s characterisations at once conjure images of portraits of bygone eras and phone screens of today. In fact, there is one point where the noticeable absence of these tech screens helps us feel the natural world; And another sequence, which feels reminiscent of the fantastic Cruise in 2022 at the Apollo Theatre, showing us the frenetic energy of a life of excess. There is also a moment of almost audible gasps from the auditorium when we joyously get brought into the first witness interaction between the famous characters.

At its core is the mesmerising central performance of Sarah Snook who brings us such an array of characters and narrative that it is impossible not to be enraptured by the storytelling. Surrounded by a finely choreographed team of camera operators and crew Snook masterfully weaves her way through the narrative delivering consistent bravura performances. Whether that be as the titular spiralling Gray, a devilish Sir Henry or the variety of cameo roles. She is effortlessly amusing, sombre when needed, frenetic, troubled and really just engaging throughout.

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