The Judas Kiss (play)
The Judas Kiss is a 1998 British play by David Hare, about Oscar Wilde's scandal and disgrace at the hands of his young lover Bosie (Lord Alfred Douglas).
Plot
In the first act of the play, Wilde's spoiled and impetuous young lover Bosie has succeeded in instigating Wilde to sue Bosie's father in court for insulting him as a "somdomite". The loss of the suit opens the way for Wilde being criminally indicted for gross indecency. Wilde has tacit government permission to flee the country to avoid arrest, trial, and imprisonment, but the childish Bosie insists that he stay and defend their honour.
The second act shows Wilde doing the one thing his friends wanted him to avoid, namely reuniting with the unbelievably selfish Bosie after his difficult two-year incarceration. Wilde, a broken man, is holed up in exile from the UK in a rat-infested hotel in Naples.[1]
Characters
Historical figures
Fictitious characters
- Sandy Moffatt: A hotel manager who is implied to be a homosexual[5][6]
- Arthur Wellesley: A member of the hotel staff[7]
- Phoebe Cane: A recently hired maid and love interest of Arthur Wellesley[8]
- Galileo Masconi: An Italian fisherman that Bosie has an affair with[9]
Cast
Original 1998 cast
- Oscar Wilde – Liam Neeson[10]
- Bosie Douglas – Tom Hollander[11]
- Robbie Ross – Peter Capaldi[12]
- Sandy Moffatt – Richard Clarke[13]
- Arthur Wellesley – Alex Walkinshaw[14]
- Phoebe Cane – Stina Nielsen[15]
- Galileo Masconi – Daniel Serafini-Sauli[16]
2012 revival cast
- Oscar Wilde – Rupert Everett[17]
- Bosie Douglas – Freddie Fox[18]
- Robbie Ross – Cal MacAninch[19]
- Sandy Moffatt – Alister Cameron[20]
- Arthur Wellesley – Ben Hardy[21]
- Phoebe Cane – Kirsty Oswald[22]
- Galileo Masconi – Tom Colley[23]
London and Broadway productions
The play opened in 1998 in London's Almeida Theatre, transferring to the West End at the Playhouse Theatre and then to Broadway in New York at the Broadhurst Theatre. The run starred Liam Neeson as Wilde and Tom Hollander as Bosie, and was directed by Richard Eyre.[24]
The Judas Kiss was revived at London's Hampstead Theatre beginning 6 September 2012, starring Rupert Everett as Wilde and Freddie Fox as Bosie, and directed by Neil Armfield. The play ran at the Hampstead through 13 October 2012 and afterwards toured the UK.[25]
Other productions
The play had its Australian premiere in 1999 at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre, directed by Neil Armfield (who would go on to direct the 2012 revival) and featured actor Bille Brown in the role of Oscar Wilde.[26] In 2014, a new production directed by Jason Cavanagh and produced by The Mockingbird Theatre Company was staged at Theatreworks in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda,[27][28] featuring Chris Baldock as Wilde, Nigel Langley as Bosie, Oliver Coleman as Robbie Ross, Zak Zavoc as Arthur Wellesley, Lauren Murtagh as Phoebe Cane, Soren Jensen as Sandy Moffatt and Nores Cerfeda as Galileo Masconi. In Toronto, a production was held, featuring Rupert Everett as Wilde.
Reception
The initial 1998 run of The Judas Kiss proved popular with audiences but less so with critics. The 2012 London revival however was both critically and popularly acclaimed. Michael Billington in The Guardian observed of the revival:
- When David Hare’s play was first seen in 1998, it suffered from the miscasting of the central roles of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie). Now, in Neil Armfield’s fine revival, it looks a much richer play .... The Wilde that emerges is a multifaceted character: one who can either be admired for his uncompromising moral integrity, or pitied for his wilful capacity for self-destruction.
- This is the most convincing dramatic portrait of Wilde that I have come across – one that captures him as both romantic individualist and tragic victim.[29]
Other critics concurred with Billington's sentiment;[30] Fiona Mountford in The Evening Standard echoed that "Time has been kinder to The Judas Kiss (1998) than some initial judgments: on second viewing it’s revealed as a rich, resonant piece of writing, which at last boasts the ideal cast."[31]
References
- ↑
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ On page seven of the 2012 reprint of Hare's script (published by Faber & Faber), the dialogue suggests that Moffatt has a fancy for a male member of his staff, as is the way that most actors portraying the character approach it.
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ The character list in the published version of the play
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://partners.nytimes.com/library/theater/043098judas-theater-review.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/07-2012/full-cast-for-the-judas-kiss-with-rupert-everett-a_3597.html
- ↑ Paller, Rebecca; David Lefkowitz (29 April 1998). "Liam Neeson Judas Kiss Opens on B'way Apr. 29". Playbill. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ "The Judas Kiss". Hampstead Theatre. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/mockingbird-judas-kiss#.U2f5arB-_IU
- ↑ http://www.theatreworks.org.au/whatson/event/?id=219
- ↑ http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/mockingbird-judas-kiss#.U2f5arB-_IU
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
External links
- The Judas Kiss at the Internet Broadway Database
- The Judas Kiss on GoogleBooks
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