Free Independent drama: Death In Genoa, featuring Simon Callow as Oscar Wilde

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In the week of the 109th anniversary of Oscar Wilde’s death, The Independent is giving you an exclusive chance to listen to and download a new drama by Made in Manchester/Dark Smile, written by Thomas Wright, about the 19th Century writer, wit and raconteur.

In 1895, Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. On his release, he settled on the continent under the name of Sebastian Melmoth.

He wrote to his wife, Constance, but he saw neither her, nor his two young boys, again.

She died in Genoa in 1898 and he visited her grave just a year before his own death in 1900.

Death in Genoa imagines what might have happened to Wilde during that visit....

Listen to Death in Genoa or download here:

WARNING: Death in Genoa contains adult language and themes

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Click here to download from iTunes

Click here for Turing's Test, another free downloadable radio play from Independent Drama

Cast

Sebastian Melmoth/Oscar Wilde: Simon Callow

Simon Callow is one of Britain’s premier stars of stage and screen. He has had critically acclaimed roles in the films Four Weddings and a Funeral, A Room With a View, Maurice, Amadeus, Howard’s End and many others. He is also a theatre director and author and has written extensively about Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Orsen Welles and Charles Laughton.

You can listen to Simon Callow in Conversation with Made in Manchester Producer Ashley Byrne here:

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Omero: Samuel Barnett

Samuel Barnett shot to fame as Posner in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys which he played in the stage, radio and film versions. Since then he’s played Millais in Desperate Romantics on BBC 2 and Simon Doonan in the BBC comedy series Beautiful People. He’s also starred alongside Judi Dench in the film Mrs Henderson Presents and he most recently played Joseph Severn in the movie Bright Star. Sam also took on the role of persecuted Enigma Code breaker Alan Turing in Turing’s Test, the recent radio drama produced by Made in Manchester for The Independent.

You can listen to Samuel Barnett in conversation with Made in Manchester Producer Ashley Byrne and Death in Genoa writer Thomas Wright here:

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Dr Carlo Bazzani: Blake Ritson

Blake was most recently on our screens as Mr Elton in the BBC adaptation of Emma, Shelley in the BBC’s Romantics, and Edmund in Company Pictures’ Mansfield Park starring opposite Billie Piper. He also appeared regularly in the BBC comedy series The League of Gentlemen. He plays Jarvis in the current feature film Dead Man Running, and is about to open in the stage play Rope at the Almeida Theatre.

The Gardener/Tram Inspector: Marcello Magni

Marcello is a co-founder of Theatre de Complicité, and has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shared Experience, as well as at The Royal National Theatre, Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe. He is also the voice of Pingu.

Flower seller/Tour Guide: Freddie Machin

Freddie recently appeared in Avocado at the Kings Head Theatre, and is soon to appear in Manor at The Soho Theatre.