This extraordinary play, written by John Wolfson, explores the two wildly different lives lived by Lord Alfred Douglas, and ultimately the motives behind his vicious denouncement of his former lover, Oscar Wilde.
The performance opens with Lord Alfred at the end of his life, recoiling at the reflection of his aged face in the mirror. When a vision of his younger self appears, what follows in the first Act is a recollection of the first thirty years of his flamboyant, privileged, but ultimately repressed and scorned life as 'Bosie'. The second half is a recounting by Lord Alfred of the post-Bosie years as he attempts to reinvent himself following Wilde's death.
The play is driven by just three actors, Rob Fradley-Wilde as Lord Alfred, Jeremiah Humphreys-Piercy as Bosie, and Jonathan Cooke multi-roling as a number of characters that Alfred and Bosie recall from their memories.
The first half is a tour-de-force from Humphries-Piercy, whose brilliantly bombastic portrayal of Bosie guides us through his complicated romance with Oscar Wilde, his strained relationship with his father, the Marquess of Queensbury, his dalliances with various men and boys, and his near-misses with the law.
The second half allows Fradley-Wilde a chance to come to the fore, and brings with it a change of pace, as Lord Alfred explains to an often horrified Bosie exactly what's happened in the 45 years since his colourful alter ego was consigned to history. Fradley-Wilde's sensitive and often wistful portrayal rather belies the vitriolic sensibilities for which Lord Alfred became known in his later years, but it's an excellent character choice given how the story unfolds.
The chameleon-like Jonathan Cooke had his work cut out with lots of different characters to play and some frantic costume changes, and while he did admirably, I couldn't help but feel the production would have been better served with one or two additional players. Cooke was at his languid best when playing Oscar Wilde or the family lawyer, but at times it was difficult to distinguish one character from another. And while Cooke did his best, as a very obviously middle-aged man, he was always going to struggle to be taken seriously as Olive, the 20-something soon-to-be wife of Lord Alfred.
Though telling an absorbing story, the play is a rather wordy affair, with little in the way of physical action to focus on, so it relies heavily on having engaging orators. Thankfully Director Selwyn Tillett got his choice of protagonists absolutely spot-on, with each of the three performers commanding attention throughout, and delivering performances brimming with a delightful deftness.
The production is notable for being the premiere on UK soil for the play (and also an impressive directorial debut for Selwyn Tillett), so it was well worth checking out for that reason alone, however, coupled with some powerhouse performances from three fine actors, and its very short run, it makes it an absolute must-see. Catch it while you can - The Lives of Bosie continues at Sewell Barn Theatre until the 7 December.
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