Various narrators.
Loved for his flamboyant personality, sparkling wit and brilliant epigrams, Oscar Wilde was a comic genius and a literary icon.
This collection reflects the many facets of his dazzling talent. Here are dramatisations of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Gothic tale of a gilded aristocrat who makes a dangerous pact, as well as four scintillating social comedies – Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Among the distinguished casts are Ian MacDiarmid, Joely Richardson, Edward Fox, Diana Rigg, Martin Clunes, Michael Hordern and Judi Dench.
Moving examples of his correspondence are revealed in The Letters of Oscar Wilde and De Profundis, read by Simon Callow and Simon Russell Beale respectively, and his most famous poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is performed live by stars including Ian McKellen, Neil Tennant and Stephen Fry.
In addition, a bonus drama, In Extremis by Neil Bartlett, starring Corin Redgrave and Sheila Hancock, reimagines Oscar Wilde's hastily arranged sitting with a society palm reader, a week before the trial that would cost him so dearly.
Released 4th April 2019 from BBC Audio.
From the cover:
The collected BBC radio productions of the major works of Oscar Wilde, plus bonus play by Neil Bartlett.Loved for his flamboyant personality, sparkling wit and brilliant epigrams, Oscar Wilde was a comic genius and a literary icon.
This collection reflects the many facets of his dazzling talent. Here are dramatisations of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Gothic tale of a gilded aristocrat who makes a dangerous pact, as well as four scintillating social comedies – Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Among the distinguished casts are Ian MacDiarmid, Joely Richardson, Edward Fox, Diana Rigg, Martin Clunes, Michael Hordern and Judi Dench.
Moving examples of his correspondence are revealed in The Letters of Oscar Wilde and De Profundis, read by Simon Callow and Simon Russell Beale respectively, and his most famous poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is performed live by stars including Ian McKellen, Neil Tennant and Stephen Fry.
In addition, a bonus drama, In Extremis by Neil Bartlett, starring Corin Redgrave and Sheila Hancock, reimagines Oscar Wilde's hastily arranged sitting with a society palm reader, a week before the trial that would cost him so dearly.
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Happy 150th birthday Oscar Wilde, a complex man of great personality and wit, who came to a tragic end.
I am celebrating this day with a listen to the excellent BBC Radio Drama Collection from Audible, which features five productions by the great man - a dramatisation of his only novel, the wonderfully gothic The Picture of Dorian Gray; and four of his celebrated plays (plus fascinating extras).
This is a very worthwhile collection to listen to, with excellent performances from some big acting names, particularly the plays which are ideal as voice pieces - although the adaptation Wilde's novel only gives a flavour of the story itself, so I recommend taking in the original in one of the dedicated, unabridged audio versions to experience its unadulterated magic.
Here, I am going to give my attention to one of the plays from the collection, Lady Windermere's Fan, which arguably contains Wilde's most quoted epigram of all time: 'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.', which is often wrongly attributed to Dorian Gray.
The play was first performed in 1892, in London, and concerns the marriage of one Lady Windermere, who we understand is 'a good woman'. Its four acts centre on Lady Windermere's birthday, following the events that ensue when she hears a rumour that her hitherto beloved husband is having an affair with the infamous Mrs Erlynne, who is newly arrived in London and seems to hold the city's husbands in thrawl... not so much their wives.
Given the damning news, Lady Windermere does a bit of snooping, fears the suspicions are correct, confronts her husband (he denies any such affair), and is thoroughly outraged when he insists she invites Mrs Erlynne to her birthday celebrations that evening to launch her into society. The dramatic events of the evening, full of misunderstandings and rash decisions, gradually secrets about Mrs Erlynne that are quite unexpected, but no spoilers here...
As is Wilde's forte, this is a play full of sparkling repartee, glorious language, and cutting humour. But is also shows his ability to explore thought provoking themes through satire. I absolutely love this one for its musings on reputation, morality, sacrifice, and hypocrisy in late Victorian high-society, particularly when it comes to the gulf between attitudes about the behaviour of men and women. Lady Windermere is actually a bit insipid, despite the celebration of her 'goodness', and the male characters are largely disreputable (and lauded for being so), but Mrs Erlynne is a fabulous character, full of depth - and if you get to listen to this drama, Penelope Keith steals the entire show with her portrayal of her!
Happy birthday, Mr Wilde. Your genius lives long!
Lady Windermere's Fan is available to buy now in various formats.
About the author:
His novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and social comedies Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), established his reputation.
In 1895, following his libel action against the Marquess of Queesberry, Wilde was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for homosexual conduct, as a result of which he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and his confessional letter De Profundis (1905).
On his release from prison in 1897 he lived in obscurity in Europe, and died in Paris in 1900.
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