Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 3rd July 2026
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4.5****
I have always loved Oscar Wilde’s works and found his life fascinating. So this play tonight by Micheál Mac Liammóir, with a title playing cleverly on an allusion to his most famous work, promised much.
The set was a stark affair – in effect, a luminous “O” and raised stage area which loomed like the shadow of the O, or the shadow of the man himself, reaching out towards the audience. The only other set decoration was a lamp in the first half and a seat in the second. This, coupled with some judicious use of light and shade at emotive moments, focused the attention on our star, his delivery and the script – and was all the more effective for that. So a massive pat on the back to Set & Costume Designer Madeleine Girling and Lighting Designer Chris Davey.
The sole performer was Alastair Whatley, playing every role – and in this tale there were plenty as Oscar was a gregarious fellow with a rich tapestry of a life! Alastair’s stage presence was immense, his delivery flawless, his inhabiting of the characters and their emotion (especially Oscar himself) awe inspiring… But all these things were eclipsed by the sheer density of the script itself – including many an Oscar letter and poem etc. performed in full and from memory. Delivered with conviction, panache and verve which took the breath away. And that’s not even mentioning the feat of remembering it all when you are the only person performing and all 2 hours plus are yours to fill. An incredible, powerhouse performance deserving of awards!
But more than the sheer awesomeness of the performance was the depth of emotion that Alastair produced. This was especially noticeable in the gaol scenes which were heart rending. To achieve all this with a skill which looked so effortless was breathtaking – as he switched perfectly between characters with just a vocal inflection and/or a shift in posture. Truly stunning.
Although sad in places (as you’d expect if you know the sorry tale of Oscar’s trial and later years) it is also a very joyous play. The “a handbag” monologue from The Importance of Being Earnest is always a thing to tickle the funny bone (and behold) and so it was tonight. One of the highlights that whizzed by far too quickly but was welcome nonetheless. It was by no means the only highlight though – so rest assured there’s something for everyone here.
There is so much to love with this work. It is so artfully done, delivered with skill by all concerned (stage and technical team) and is both interesting in a historical sense but also thought provoking in social commentary aspects – giving us an impactful evening’s entertainment that I have no hesitation in heartily recommending. It’s a shame that the auditorium wasn’t more full to witness this masterpiece – I presume the England match had a lot to do with that and this was a damn sight more entertaining than the big match. The show deserves to be seen and you would do well to catch it while you can.