Exciting new stage musical adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray is coming to Blackpool Grand Theatre
A bold new musical adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray is set to bring gothic glamour and dark temptation to Blackpool this autumn.
A decadent new musical reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray will arrive at Blackpool Grand Theatre on November 14 as part of an ambitious UK and Ireland tour.
Sign up for our Blackpool Gazette retro newsletter - warm nostalgia delivered to your inbox - weekly.
Written by musician and producer Mark J. Middlemiss, the production transforms Oscar Wilde’s classic 1890 novel into a full-scale stage spectacle inspired by the grand musicals of the 1970s and 1980s.
Middlemiss, whose previous credits include the sell-out tribute show One Night in Dublin, described the project as a long-held ambition finally realised. He said he wanted to remain faithful to Wilde’s original characters and dialogue while elevating the story through music.
He said: He said: “I wrote this show as a hark back to the grand, operatic musicals of the 1970s and 1980s which I grew up with and adore.
“The original novel is a cornerstone of dark, gothic fiction, and I’ve always felt it was crying out for a big, electrifying, Broadway-style musical adaptation.”
The show charts the story of Dorian Gray, a wealthy young man whose wish for eternal youth is granted when his portrait ages in his place. As he is drawn deeper into a world of excess and moral decline the painting becomes a chilling reflection of his hidden corruption.
.jpeg?trim=360,0,360,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
Structured across two acts set 20 years apart, the musical closely follows the source material’s dark themes of vanity, temptation and consequence. Audiences can expect a sweeping score featuring songs such as Every Picture Tells a Story, Lords of the City and The Talk of London, with music already available on streaming platforms.
Choreography is by Alison Parsons with additional musical arrangements by Joe Draper, Paul Worthington and Stuart McLean-Fowler.
The Blackpool date forms part of a six-month tour with hopes the production will eventually reach London’s West End.
Middlemiss said early reactions to the music have been overwhelmingly positive, with some likening the show to a blend of Sweeney Todd and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Tickets are on sale now via the theatre’s box office and website.