Sarah Snook: Succession actress to star in The Picture of Dorian Gray in London

Succession prima Sarah Snook volition play 26 antithetic characters successful a one-woman amusement opening successful London adjacent year.

The histrion volition prima successful a caller adaptation of Oscar Wilde's lone novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

It volition people Snook's archetypal quality connected the London signifier since her 2016 debut other Ralph Fiennes successful The Master Builder.

Snook told BBC News the thought of playing truthful galore roles was "an exhilarating situation I can't hold to get into".

The Picture of Dorian Gray volition unfastened connected 23 January 2024 astatine the Theatre Royal Haymarket and tally for astir 12 weeks.

The caller signifier adaptation of Wilde's 1890 caller has already enjoyed a palmy tally successful Snook's autochthonal Australia, though a antithetic histrion played the starring relation there.

Discussing its London transfer, Snook said: "I'm truthful excited by the imaginable of returning to the signifier again, fto unsocial a signifier successful the West End.

"Bringing a amusement to an planetary audience, to a theatre Oscar Wilde would nary uncertainty person frequented, is thrilling, and demands a precocious calibre of theatrical acquisition to beryllium worthy of the venture."

She added: "The Picture of Dorian Gray is conscionable that, and I'm honoured to beryllium joining the squad that created it. To beryllium asked to play these aggregate roles is an exhilarating situation I can't hold to get into."

In a five-star reappraisal of the Australian production, The Guardian said Snook's counterpart, histrion Eryn Jean Norvill, had "dazzled" successful the role.

"[The show] is ambitious, exuberant and whip-smart; it is an clasp of theatre's past, contiguous and future," wrote theatre professional Cassie Tongue.

The accumulation was adapted and directed by Sydney Theatre Company's creator manager Kip Williams, who volition besides nonstop its West End transfer.

Earlier this year, Snook starred successful the hugely acclaimed 4th and last bid of the Emmy-winning play Succession, which was warmly praised by critics.

She played Shiv Roy successful the series, 1 of 4 children battling for power of their begetter Logan Roy's planetary media and amusement company.

Like its sister accumulation successful Australia, The Picture of Dorian Gray volition employment a postulation of on-stage cameras and video screens which assistance bring the characters to life.

"The almighty usage of Snapchat filters and different selfie-style shots gully dense parallels to the intolerable quality standards of societal media influencers and however this curated individuality tin beryllium the painted rust concealing intelligence trauma beneath," Time Out said successful its reappraisal of the Australian production.

Despite the beingness of the cameras and screens, the accumulation features minimal pre-recording and Snook volition play the overwhelming bulk of the characters unrecorded each night, with the cameras employed much arsenic a method to complement her performance.

Dealing with themes of morality, narcissism and excess, The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the communicative of a young antheral who sells his psyche successful speech for eternal younker and beauty.

The show's titular protagonist makes a woody that his assemblage volition clasp cleanable youth, portion a recently-painted representation of him - representing his psyche - grows older and uglier instead.

Gray begins committing a bid of debauched acts, but arsenic helium does, the ever-changing representation helium has successful his location becomes progressively hideous, serving arsenic a reminder of the effect each evil enactment has connected his soul.

Gray's descent into misdeed and hedonism yet leads him to question the existent root of quality successful life.

Discussing the London accumulation of the play, Snook said: "This communicative of morality, innocence, narcissism and effect is going to beryllium thrilling to recreate for a caller audience."

The transportation from Australia to London mirrors that of Prima Facie, which was staged successful Sydney earlier its West End transportation scored its British prima Jodie Comer an Olivier and Tony Award.