Sing-a-long-a-Dorian

Sing-a-long-a-Dorian

Some might regard The Picture of Dorian Gray as a novel not much in need of a musical. The lyricist Duncan Shiels thinks otherwise. He has a point. Pride and Prejudice made it to the musical stage as First Impressions, Oliver! is back and Les Miserables can't have looked like a dead cert to anyone. Undaunted by a text which swings between lush, verdant prose and polished epigrams, Shiels is clearly confident of success when Dorian Gray - the Musical sweeps into town via the Rock Theatre, Budapest. As far as he's concerned, if a novel contains elements of love, death, passion and tragedy, it's ripe for musicalisation. Perhaps we should all be placing bets on the future success of Boys! - the Brothers Karamazov musical or Mad as Hell - the Bell Jar musical. Instead of merely waiting for such wonders, hotfoot it to the opening night.

Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon St, WC1 (0171-637 2994) 8pm 3-6 May, £18, £14