Literary rivalry, forbidden passions, and a few too many songs make for a musical with potential.Rating
Good
You’ve heard of Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Gray – but have you heard the remarkable story of how their authors, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde, were inexplicably intertwined? In Stoker Wilde, this rock musical in development has a compelling story to tell. It just needs to tell less of it through song. With some judicious trimming and a more satisfying climax, there could be a hit here.
Stoker (Connor Carson) met Wilde (Glenn Adamson) through a family connection, sparking a rivalry that extended beyond their literary ambitions. Both fell for Florence Balcombe (Christina Bennington), but it was Stoker who won her hand in marriage, moving with her to London to manage the Lyceum Theatre. Wilde meanwhile was making a name for himself across the pond, and the pair’s professional and personal tensions continued to simmer. It is fertile ground for a musical, but it could be a real page-turner.
Told almost entirely through song, Eric Rosen and Rodney Bush‘s production brings this history to life, albeit with some artistic licence – including the suggestion of a romantic connection between the authors at university. The score has its triumphs, notably ‘This Is Our Chance’, ‘Famous or Notorious’ and ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. But there are simply too many songs. At times, the relentless musical storytelling comes at the expense of the drama itself. Some moments would benefit from silence or reflection rather than another number. The irony is that a show so reliant on music occasionally undermines its own emotional impact by refusing to let a moment breathe.
The seven-strong cast brings considerable charm and energy to the material. Adamson is electrifying as Wilde, capturing the writer’s growing confidence and social ascent after attending Oxford with a swagger that injects life into the narrative. Carson is equally compelling as Stoker, conveying the character’s more shadowy presence while delivering powerful vocals. Bennington brings poignancy and restraint to Florence, evoking a woman seemingly trapped in circumstances beyond her control. David Bedella lends gravitas to the celebrated actor Henry Irving, leaning into the character’s darker, more villainous side. The remaining cast deliver solid, if less memorable, performances, hampered in part by thinly drawn supporting roles that require them to flit between characters.
Curiously, it is the storytelling, rather than the music, that proves the production’s greatest asset. The connection between Stoker and Wilde offers a fresh perspective on two figures whose reputations can easily overshadow the people behind the books. The dialogue, though sparingly used, is sharp and economical – a welcome restraint in a show featuring a character as famously quotable as Wilde. Yet the drama does not always match the richness of its subject. Wilde’s eventual imprisonment for gross indecency in 1895 should be a devastating turning point, but the emotional stakes have not been sufficiently built to make his downfall land with the force it deserves. The problem is not a lack of tragedy in the story, but a failure to fully realise it on stage.
Séimí Campbell‘s direction keeps this developmental production moving at pace, with actors traversing the space and rotating around chairs to suggest changes of location. There is enough here to suggest an exciting future, but the middle section needs a firmer edit while a more fully realised climax and denouement would bring the story to a more satisfying close.
Stoker Wilde has the ingredients of something special, with an intriguing historical relationship, a capable cast and flashes of musical brilliance. Now it needs the confidence to know what to leave out. With that refinement, it could become a masterpiece even Dorian Gray would be proud of.
Presented by PW Productions
Book and Lyrics by Eric Rosen
Music and Lyrics by Rodney Bush
Directed by Séimí Campbell
Set and Costume Design by Kendall Bas Sison
Lighting Design by Jack Knowles
Sound Design by Helen Atkinson
Stoker Wilde is playing at Wilton’s Music Hall until Saturday 31 October.
