A new musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray will begin its debut tour in Darlington.
The brand new production comes to Darlington Hippodrome on Monday, October 19, before touring across the UK and Ireland in 2026.
Starring Kevin Kennedy, known for Rock of Ages, We Will Rock You and Coronation Street, as Mr Isaacs, The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical brings one of literature’s most haunting stories to the stage.
Described as “Sweeney Todd meets Jesus Christ Superstar with a dash of Jekyll and Hyde”, the show is a dark, sung-through retelling of Wilde’s famous tale, inspired by the grand theatrical musicals of the 1970s and 1980s.
At the heart of the story is Dorian Gray, a young man blessed with beauty, wealth and charm. When his portrait is painted, a single wish ties his fate to the canvas and sets him on a path of decadence, temptation and moral decay.
While Dorian himself remains untouched by time, the portrait becomes a hidden reflection of his soul. It ages, corrupts and carries the weight of every choice he makes.
With an original score, classic staging and a 13-strong cast, the production brings Victorian London to life while staying faithful to Wilde’s original novel.
Creator Mark Middlemiss said: “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.”
The production has already attracted attention online, with its original soundtrack streamed more than 500,000 times across digital platforms ahead of its stage debut.
Lavish, haunting and emotionally charged, The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical offers a powerful new way to experience Wilde’s iconic story, where beauty may last, but consequences never disappear.
