The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical - UK Tour Coming Soon

Becky Wallis
5 days ago
2 min read

How far would you go for eternal youth and endless beauty? Is how you look from the outside more important than anything else? Handsome but hedonistic aristocrat Dorian Gray meets an artist enamoured with his beauty, and fearing losing said beauty to age, he makes some strange impulsive wish; for his portrait to age and wither away instead of him. He lives a life of freedom, decadence, and fulfilment, whilst his hidden away portrait ages whilst remembering every sin of the person it portrays.

Oscar Wilde's timeless tale has been adapted for both screen and stage, and fans can now book for a musical adaptation heading out on a major debut tour later this year.

Kevin Kennedy (We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages, Coronation Street) is set to star as Mr Issacs in The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical, alongside Christopher Twyford as Dorian Gray, Kingsley Judd as Lord Henry Wotton, George McKinley as Basil Hallward, Charlotte Castle as Sibyl Vane, Keegan Featherstone as Jim Vane and a talented multi-role playing ensemble.

Described as 'Sweeney Todd meets Jesus Chris Superstar with a dash of Jekyll and Hyde', this new production is a faithful re-telling of Wilde's story presented as a sung-through dark theatrical experience, inspired the the operatic musicals of the 1970s and 80s. Featuring a original score and classic staging, it is as faithful to the original novel as it is dramatic, haunting and powerful.

Production photography from The picture of Dorian Gray

Creator Mark Middlemiss states 'This idea has been with me for over twenty years - it's a story I never stopped thinking about. My aim is to bring The Picture of Dorian Gray to the stage exactly as Wilde wrote it: in its original setting, with its original characters and dialogue, and told through music rather than interpretation. It's been a long journey to get here but seeing it come to life in a musical production has been incredibly rewarding - and I can't wait for audiences to see and experience it in that form'.

With the original soundtrack having been streamed over 500,000 times across digital platforms, there is quite a buzz surrounding this production and with the tour visiting Darlington, Rhyl, Halifax, Hunstanton, Weymouth, Gravesend, Lowestoft, Kettering, Lincoln, Runcorn, Blackpool, Grimsby, Malvern, Swansea, Birmingham, Stockport, Peterborough, Tunbridge Wells, Manchester, Newcastle, Wakefield, Lichfield, Billingham, Newark, Bournemouth, Leamington Spa, Yeovil, Aberdeen, Perth, Abbroath, New Brighton, Barnstaple and Harrogate between October 2026 and March 2027, theatre fans up and down the country will have the opportunity to witness it.