Oscar Wilde is still a household name today, his stories and famous wit still marking him out as a man of extraordinary talent, but do we know the man behind the lifestyle, the put-downs and the flamboyance? Last night, the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne hosted The Importance of Being Oscar, which told another side of the story, with an impassioned performance.
First performed in 1960, Mac Liammóir’s play is a one-person show, on this occasion delivered by Alastair Whatley. The show mixes a retelling of the author’s life story with excerpts from his best-loved works, providing a portrait of a man who thought deeply, cared passionately and was a victim of his time and circumstances.
The performance began by referencing the author of the piece, using sound bites from the original performances, allowing the actor to reflect on his place in telling the story. Wilde’s early life was provided, giving good context and allowing us to get a sense of the world he came from, with references to some of his early attempts at poetry. As we moved into Wilde’s more confident period of work, we were presented with a different man, one who could use language to secure his place in the world. Following the much-publicised court case and prison sentence, we then saw Wilde’s decline and fall, his lament and vitriol and his ill-fated decisions which led eventually to his death.
Wilde’s writing was central to the piece. With a simple movement and an alteration of the lighting state, we were taken to his enduring characters, allowed to hear his personal letters and immersed in the language he perfected. Placing these pieces in the context of his life gave them more weight, with the words reflecting Wilde’s current circumstances and the state of his mind at the time he wrote them. By the time we reached The Ballad of Reading Gaol, delivered in a stark and ethereal style, we could feel the depth of emotion which inspired the piece.
The stark staging and clever use of lighting really supported this performance, changing the mood and delivery methods and allowing Whatley to show every side of the man he was portraying. However, it was the intensity of the performance that brought the show to life, particularly in the second act, when the character is stripped back, and there is nowhere to hide. His delivery of De Profundis really did feel like it was coming from the depths of his soul, and his physicality matched the moment perfectly, drawing into himself and using the silences to show how hard it must have been to write such a letter.
We were left with a very different view of the famous orator. Yes, a dandy, yes, a man of wit, but also a troubled soul who sacrificed a great deal on principle.
A second performance in Eastbourne is due today (Wednesday 17 June) at 2.30 pm, with the tour continuing.
Theatre Royal, Winchester, Tuesday 23 June and Wednesday 24 June
Malvern Theatre, Wednesday 1 July to Friday 3 July
Darlington Hippodrome, Tuesday 14 July to Thursday 16 July
Park Theatre, London, Wednesday 22 July to Saturday 22 August
More information and tickets are available here.
