This World Our Hell

The Confessions of Dorian Gray #1.1

by David Llewellyn, Scott Handcock (Director), Alexander Vlahos (Narrator)

Paris, 1900. One of Dorian Gray's oldest friends is on his deathbed, locked away in a room at the notorious Hotel D'Alsace, where he is fighting a duel to the death. And when Dorian comes to visit him one last time, both men realise they may never be allowed to check out… Note: The Confessions of Dorian Gray contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.

Cast: Alexander Vlahos (Dorian Gray), Steffan Rhodri (Oscar Wilde), Marilyn Le Conte (Genevieve Moreau), David Blackwell (Robert Ross), Sophie Melville (Isabelle)

Technical Details
Written By: David Llewellyn
Director: Scott Handcock
Sound Design: Robbie Dunlop
Music: James Dunlop
Cover Art: Stuart Manning
Duration: 30' approx
Production Code: BFPDGDL01
Recorded Dates: 11 and 22 August 2012
Recorded At: Warwick Hall Studios

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Mystery, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Media Tie In, Classics

1 pages, Audiobook

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

David Llewellyn is a Welsh novelist and script writer. He grew up in Pontypool and graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2000. His first novel, Eleven, was published by Seren Press in 2006. His second, Trace Memory, a spin-off from the BBC drama series Torchwood, was published in March 2008. Everything Is Sinister was published by Seren in May 2008. He has written two novels for the Doctor Who New Series Adventures: The Taking of Chelsea 426, featuring the Tenth Doctor, and Night of the Humans, featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond.

In addition to writing novels, Llewellyn wrote the Bernice Summerfield audio play Paradise Frost and the Dark Shadows audio drama The Last Stop for Big Finish Productions.

Llewellyn lives in Cardiff.

Reviews

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorian pays the dying Oscar Wilde a visit in a hotel where strange things happen, it is said that some men vanished there, how? Dorian will see it first hand.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The soul is a terrible reality. It can be brought and sold and bartered away. It can be poisoned or made perfect. There is a soul in each one of us. I know it."

Series 1.1- Paris 1900's

The idea that Oscar Wilde's book was based on a real person, where Gray's regrets aren't captured in his painting but his sins-everything that makes his shadow. i love Alexander Viahos as Dorian ( I loved him in Merlin) He brings charisma, confidence and portrays such an interesting character. Bringing Wilde and Gray together at the end of Wilde's life brings a sense of mortality and what the world has become for Dorian.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wonderful! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, well maybe a bit. But I wasn’t sure if I should expect it to be as dark and as twisted as I’d hoped it might be. I mean, we are talking about Dorian Gray here. A man so twisted by his ... desires, his ... acts that the painting which portrays his soul is perhaps too hideous to look upon, else it might drive the viewer insane. And here, in this first tale, Dorian meets none other than his creator, or perhaps we should just say his chronicler (or maybe his fabricator would be more appropriate?) and it’s just delicious. A delightfully delicious feast for the soul, that is if you still have one.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revisiting the old favourite, The Confessions of Dorian Gray, with the goal of getting to the last series, at long last (I didn't want to say goodbye so much I still haven't listened to it).

This one, the very first story, I know almost by heart but still enjoy every time.

[Lokita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, THAT was one of the most delicious audio performances I've ever heard. Vlahos brings the same ambiguous morality to Dorian as he did to Mordred, and in this horror-themed work it's a thrill to hear that darkness.

[Sara Habein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but I wished it was longer.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorian Gray + Alexander Vlahos = 5 stars!
Looking forward to continuing the series.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the Confessions of Dorian Grey series and it starts things off brilliantly. Tying nicely into the latter days of Oscar Wilde with a nice gothic horror twist.

[osoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.
Oscar Wilde

Место и время действия: Париж, 1900 год.
Дориан Грей спешит к своему угасающему другу Оскару Уайльду, осевшему в отеле D’Alsace. Но отель этот совсем не прост, его преследует дурная слава — мол, люди туда заходили и больше не возвращались. Дориану предстоит убедиться, насколько правдивы слухи.

Предпочитаю считать эту находку работой провидения. Только отзвучал финальный аккорд Penny Dreadful, and I craved for more, и эту жажду необходимо было в срочном порядке утолить. Совершенно неудивительно, что в ход пошел мрачноватый сюжет о Дориане Грее.
Я испытываю симпатию к переложениям классики на новый лад. Когда авторам удается сохранить первоначальную атмосферу, мне хочется собственноручно вручить им медаль. «Портрет Дориана Грея» появился в моей жизни довольно давно, так что, не углубляясь в перечитывание, сейчас я могу только оценить, насколько в тон первоисточнику пришлась эта аудиопьеса (oh yes! прекрасно пришлась). Бигфинишная история предполагает, что Уайльд писал своего Дориана Грея с реального прототипа, не постаревшего ни на день с момента их встречи.

Получилась хоррор-конфетка, которой предшествует общение писателя и его «персонажа». Диалог Уайльда и Грея служит не только способом ввести читателя в курс дела, но и содержит небезынтересные мысли философской направленности. Еще друзья вспоминают былое и в какой-то момент звучат слова о том, что именно Грей посоветовал Уайльду À rebours Гюисманса. По словам Уайльда, он рад, что убил своего книжного Дориана, и на обиженный вопрос реального отвечает, что просто боится за него, ведь покуда тот не обзавелся амнезией, его грехи никуда не деваются. Их диалог оказался настолько интересным и насыщенным, что я даже слегка опешила, когда наконец началась движуха и появилась страшилка, заявленная изначально. Лейтмотив, пронизывающий разговор двух друзей и последующие события в проклятом отеле — демоны, поедающие душу изнутри и снаружи.

Дориан Грей импонирует на всех уровнях. Его роль читает Alexander Vlahos, и мне тяжело представить более подходящий выбор. Шепчет ли он, вопрошает, мягко укоряет или угрожает — божечки, даже мои наушники тают.

annikeh.net

[Michael Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paris, 1900. Dorian Gray visits his biographer, Oscar Wilde, on his deathbed at the Hotel D'Alsace and discovers demons living in the wallpaper. The Confessions of Dorian Gray is Big Finish's latest attempt to produce a successful, ongoing audio series outside their Doctor Who license. It's an odd choice to try and do so with the story of a guilt-ridden immortal living through the twentieth century – surely a familiar idea to Who and Torchwood fans thanks to Captain Jack Harkness.

Despite the familiarity, lead actor Alex Vahlos's narration and the emphasis on horror over pastiche make this an enjoyable first episode (someone, somewhere is comparing it to Sapphire & Steel right now – they always do). Writer David Llewellyn cannily keeps the story close to Dorian's nature, using the plot and resolution – preferable to the obligatory meditation – to establish the series' lead. It's too early to make much of the series beyond that as the time-hopping aspect is largely absent, but the opener's done enough to ensure I'll still be here when it arrives.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It doesn’t really need to be stated that this story is great because it’s the one that lead to technically 7 full series of Confessions audios and the return of the side character in the story several times. Alexander Vlahos slips into the role of Dorian instantly, with the youth and beauty to his voice but a clear sense of age and withering at the same time. Steffan Rhodri is brilliant as Oscar Wilde and the clearness of how this series works with Dorian being real and Oscar having been friends with him wrote the book about him, being a blessing. Had it been confusing the series wouldn’t be as enjoyable. The witty nature of the stories antagonist was delightful to notice and the imagery was very effective, building up to a melancholic ending. A simple story but the set up for great things to come.

[Laura Naysmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first episode in the Big finish audio series a series which is finishing after 5 seasons. In this episode we are introduced to Dorian Gray who is off to Paris to visit his dying friend Oscar Wilde, who is living his last moments in a skeevy Hotel for those people that are too scandalous to find rooms anywhere else. The problem is, people who stay in this hotel are just disappearing without trace. Could Dorian be next?

This is a short listen only about 30 minutes long but certainly packs a lot into the short time. I will definitely be listening to a few other episodes.

P.s. In this audio series the character of Dorian Gray is real and Oscar Wilde wrote his famous book about him ( his friend) and managed to convince the public that the story was just that, a story.

[Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me awhile to track this series down, as Audible does not have all of them available... Glad I did :) the original book is one of my long time favorites, and I've always enjoyed the different iterations of it. Also, cannot go wrong with Alexander Vlahos, an actor I have long enjoyed from Merlin and more recently from Versailles, as the lead.

[byeol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alexander Vlahos as Dorian Gray? Yes, please!

(I swear these things never get old!)

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to try this series for a while, after loving the Dorian/Benny Summerfield crossover, 'Shades of Grey.'

Loved this. Very atmospheric, and creepy. The descriptions of turn of the century Paris are wonderful. Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice little supernatural thriller with Oscar Wilde. About 30 min. audio drama. Enjoyable. Think I'll subscribe to the series.

[Rae Beeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first episode was so perfect. "We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell."

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Finish is bringing Dorian Gray to life so perfectly and Alexander Vlahos is just marvelous as Dorian :)

[Richard Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great little vignette of Dorian Gray interacting with Oscar Wilde.