The Confessions of Dorian Gray: Series 1-2

The Confessions of Dorian Gray #1-2

by Simon Barnard, Nev Fountain, Roy Gill

"To have written such a book was nothing… to convince the world it was a work of fiction was a triumph!"

Inspired by Oscar Wilde's classic story of hedonism and corruption, The Confessions of Dorian Gray imagines a world where Dorian Gray was real, and his friendship with Oscar Wilde once spawned the notorious novel.

Presented as a series of original horror stories, Alexander Vlahos takes us on a supernatural journey through the twentieth century: from Oscar Wilde’s death in Paris, right through to the present day.

This complete collection features every episode from the first and second series, including three hour-long special episodes – released on CD for the very first time! Also included are the Bernice Summerfield crossover story, Shades of Gray, a soundtrack of James Dunlop’s evocative music score and specially-recorded introductions from Alexander Vlahos, who selects his favourite stories from the series.

CONTENTS:
This World Our Hell
The Immortal Game
Murder on 81st Street
The Houses in Between
The Twittering of Sparrows
The Lord of Misrule
The Heart That Lives Alone
The Fallen King of Britain
The Picture of Loretta Delphine
Running Away With You
Ghosts of Christmas Past
The Prime of Deacon Brodie
The Mayfair Monster
Bernice Summerfield: Shades of Gray
The Music of Dorian Gray

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Gothic, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Plays

Audio CD

First published January 31, 2014

About the author

Simon Barnard is a freelance audio producer.

Reviews

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mordred has grown up... and has a very sexy voice.” That was my first thought, listening to this. :)

This box set is fantastic—great stories, many different themes, all told/acted brilliantly. It’s great fun to listen to.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This World Our Hell (1.1 / 1900): 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.

Ghosts of Christmas Past (1.6 / 1912): Hmm, I chose this one next as it appeared to be the next one in a chronological sequence, as opposed to in the order they were produced. Maybe that wasn’t the best choice. Or maybe it was just that I couldn’t quite grasp the voice of Nicholas Briggs as Sherlock Holmes (but then the last Sherlock Holmes film I watched was with Sir Ian McKellen as the Great Detective, retired of course, so I’m probably a bit biased there). Otherwise I did enjoy this one, maybe I’d just had too high an expectation.

The Immortal Game (2.4 / 1913): Yes! Here we go. This is the type of thing I was hoping for. What starts as a disjointed chess game becomes something so much more, except it doesn’t really change at all. Well done!

The Prime of Deacon Brodie (2.6 / 1920): Interesting. Not at all what I expected from this one. Fascinating new opponent for Dorian Gray. Perhaps even a reoccurring one? Time will tell.

Murder on 81st Street (2.3 / 1939): Another brilliant episode. I really enjoyed the interplay between Dorian and Dorothy, the chemistry is palpable and it really brings our the charm and delight in the voices. And it’s a perfect juxtapose to the menace and threat of the monstrous murderous mystery facing the pair.

The Houses In Between (1.2 / 1940): Another solidly entertaining episode for the series. Quite good, but other than atmospheric production values of the soundscape, nothing really grabbed me.

The Twittering of Sparrows (1.3 / 1956): Katy Manning guest stars, but not as Jo Grant-Jones. Nope, she’s ... no wait that would be spoilers. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Another interesting and spellbinding episode.

The Lord of Misrule (2.2 / 1964): Dorian is back in the confessional, and his sins just keep racking up. This time out, Oscar Wilde’s bad boy comes to grips with the swinging 60s and the early days of rock and roll. And I’m pleased theat Big Finish added the songs featured in the narrative as a bonus feature, so you can enjoy them without the story destroying from the tunes.

The Heart That Lives Alone (1.4 / 1986): Oh my Loki! This is what I’ve been waiting for. This combines all my favorite genres. Beautiful. Wonderful. Fantastic performances. Great script. Check. Check. Check. This hits all my buttons. If for no other reason, this makes purchasing all the Dorian Gray audio-dramas in one big batch completely worth the expense.

The Mayfair Monster (2.7 / 1999): Another excellent episode. Dark, crime and it looks like it could be the end of the line for Dorian. And maybe that’s just what he’s looking for after over 130 years ... maybe.

The Fallen King of Britain (1.5 / 2007): This ones about excess and what happens after you’ve achieved success. When you’ve reached the top, where is there to go but straight down?

The Picture of Loretta Delphine (2.1 / 2012): Enjoyable, but not a thrillingly creepy as others have been. Entertaining, but the format of just a couple of actors having a conversation is not as interesting as a larger ensemble cast provides.

Running Away with You (2.5 / 1879/2012): Hauntings are not always what they seem to be on the surface. Is the haunting from a spirit, the restless dead? Or is the haunting from the regents of memories, things that one can not let go of? Or is the haunting from somewhere beyond our reality, something dark or completely alien to our own known universe? Or perhaps it is from something far closer to home than any of these. This is a fascinating conclusion(?) to the series, or it just just the end of the beginning?

This set also includes nearly two and a half hours of bonus material featuring original music and the original appearance of Big Finish’s Dorian Gray from the adventures of Bernice Summerfield: Shades of Gray. While music score is a brilliant addition, the Bernice Summerfield episode doesn’t quite fit with the other Dorian Gray stories (but then it wasn’t intended to do so). Still, it is a nice inclusion for this box set.

Overall I was enormously pleased with this set. Definitely a good purchase and I’ll be eagerly looking forward to The Confessions of Dorian Gray: Series 3, which I’ll like start in January 2021. Hard to believe that Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray from Big Finish Productions help me make it through the last couple months of 2020. Thank you to everyone involved for this wonderful trip.

[Julie Bozza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic stuff! I bought these audio plays for the sake of the lead actor, Alexander Vlahos (and for Rupert Young, who plays Moriarty in a Christmas Special episode). Audio plays aren't my usual thing, so I went in with zero expectations - and I was majorly impressed.

These plays are well-written tales of the 'real life' Dorian Gray, who inspired Oscar Wilde's novel. We hear his adventures in different time periods - past, present and future - and we meet his loves and his friends, all of whom he of course out-lives. Dorian is refreshingly presented, with no coyness at all, as openly bisexual; and he has proper friendships with men and women, too. I think Vlahos has it right when he picks out the two best episodes as being the one with Dorian's true love Toby, and the other with his bestie Dorothy Parker (they call each other Dotty and Dodo ♥).

Dorian is a fascinating character. As self-centred and narcissistic as he obviously must be, and referred to by his creators as a 'villain' (not even an anti-hero), the tales are nevertheless told from his own charming point-of-view, and I couldn't help but like him. He can love, after all, and his heart breaks - and he treats most people decently - and he combats evil. But, yes. Not your average Good Guy, by any means!

The plays are very well-produced, with all the appropriate music and sound effects, and very well-acted, too.

Highly recommended.

[Jacm · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray was based on fact? What if the story didn't end with Dorian destroying his portrait? What would life for Dorian Gray be like in the 1940's, 1970's, 2000's?

Full of love, indifference, decadence, and the supernatural, this series of audio plays tackles those questions and more in a brilliantly engaging way. Each story - or episode- is approximately 1/2 an hour which seems to be just enough time for Dorian to win you over once again with his side of the story of immortality.

The actors are all brilliant. Alexander Vlahos brings Dorian to life in such a relatable way with just the right mix of villain and hero. It is obvious that quite a bit of thought goes into developing and portraying all the characters - even the ones that only appear in one story.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collected edition of the first two “seasons” of Dorian Gray, the 30-minute episodes are presented in chronological, rather than publication, order, with a few 60-minute stories rounding out the set. Alexander Vlahos (of Merlin and Versailles, among other things) plays the eponymous antihero, narrating the stories assisted by a small number of additional actors playing various guest characters.

The series features the eponymous character, who, in this version, does not die as he does in Wilde’s real-world novel. It’s a series of (mostly) supernatural horror stories, making use of Gray’s immortality to visit various decades throughout his life. With different writers for each episode, the various stories tend to have markedly different tones; some work, others do not, but the former are more common.

This World Our Hell – The series stakes its pitch with an opener that is part character piece, with Gray visiting the dying Oscar Wilde in 1900 Paris, and part horror story, as something horrible stalks the hotel. For such a short story, it works quite well, and Vlahos delivers a good performance as the tortured yet callous title character.

The Immortal Game – This story ventures into more psychological horror as Gray becomes involved with two men playing an unusual chess game in Brighton on the eve of the First World War. The story muses on the nature of good and evil, and has a twist in the tail that only deepens the question of which, in this story, is which.

Murder on 81st Street – A fairly straightforward monster tale enlivened partly by the setting, with Nazi sympathisers in 1939 New York City, but mainly by Gray’s encounter with Dorothy Parker. The latter is played by Sarah Douglas (of the ‘70s Superman films), who brings a well-written script to life, lending an earthy tone to the story.

The Houses In Between – A particularly dark tale set during the height of the London Blitz, which sees Gray haunted by mysterious spirits. The devastation of the bombing parallels the more psychological damage that Gray has left in his wake, as some really quite unpleasant sides of his character show through. It certainly reminds us that our protagonist is no hero.

The Twittering of Sparrows – Another psychological instalment, with the monster never truly described and staying largely in the shadows. The story instead focuses more on Dorian’s connection with an elderly woman in 1950s Singapore, and how it reflects on his past. It’s perhaps rather a slight story, and, while the tone manages to be quite sinister, the emotional punch at the end is undercut by what we’ve already been through in earlier episodes.

The Lord of Misrule – This tale of Mods and Rockers in the British music scene of the ‘60s is a rather mixed bag. On the one hand, most of it doesn’t feel like horror, and Gray is portrayed as more of a traditional hero than usual. On the other hand, swearing, drug-taking, explicit sex (for audio), and one particularly gory scene all hint that something rather darker was intended. The lively music aids the former aspect, but clashes with the latter… oh, and Vlahos may be a good actor, but, judging from this, he’s no singer.

The Heart That Lives Alone – A subtle supernatural romance, much of which is co-narrated by the object of Dorian’s obsession/affection, emphasising his status as an equal. The story contrasts the lives of the immortal Gray and the mysterious guest character, who is hiding a particularly dark secret of his own. It’s a beautifully written piece, making Dorian more vulnerable than usual, and with a memorable final scene.

The Picture of Loretta Delphine – A more traditional horror story, about the legacy of a long-dead serial killer, this is also makes good use of the format, with only one other person being present during the events in question. More significantly, it examines how Dorian has fared, and changed, over the course of a lifetime, that has, by this point, lasted for well over a hundred years. The ending is, perhaps, a little obvious, but it works as character development.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past – A rather different story than most of the others, and not just because it is a full-cast 60-minute instalment, this is more of a mystery with supernatural elements than a horror tale. It also revolves heavily around the repercussions of the events in Wilde’s original novel (bar, of course, Dorian’s death) and, perhaps more significantly, involves Gray meeting Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, putting Holmes in a supernatural story isn’t something that really works, betraying much of the point of the character and blunting his usefulness.

The Prime of Deacon Brodie – The second 60-minute story makes a better use of its length to tell a tale more in the style of the regular episodes, but with more depth than they can typically allow. Here, a supernatural threat related to the (real) 18th century thief Deacon Brodie is placed alongside the more mundane horrors of World War I. It also has time to portray Gray as a more complex character, acting out of love, yet with his darker side still bubbling beneath the surface.

The Mayfair Monster – The third of the double-length stories starts off as a romance between Dorian and a famous artist. Soon, it takes a much darker turn, and delves into the relationship between Gray and his portrait. It’s more of an exploration of the character and his nature than a regular horror tale, and makes good use of the guest actors to tell an engaging piece with its theme of endings built around the central date of New Year’s Eve 1999.

Running Away With You – Both the first and the last story in the set, chronologically speaking, this sees the present day Gray reminiscing about a particularly formative time in his youth. I have to say that I didn’t fully follow what was going on here, although there are certainly some uncomfortable moments with a psychologically damaged governess. It also seemingly wraps up the arc of the series, although, in fact, three more seasons followed before the actual finale. Hopefully, that will be less confusing than this was.

[Neveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just admire this series and this is my 3rd year in a row to listen to it starting September till December.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This World Our Hell by David Llewellyn - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The introductory story to the range, this story established the context and characters immediately with great success. Vlahos is straight out the gates perfect as Dorian Gray and this simple little drama definitely leaves you wanting more.

The Immortal Game by Nev Fountain - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A truly brilliant story, that manages to ask metaphysical and philosophical concepts in only 30 minutes. Dorian is the outsider in this one, stepping into a truly fascinating mystery that doesn’t play out simple at all. The cast are superb and the script is simply airtight, I cannot recommend this one enough.

Murder On 81st Street by David Llewellyn - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A lovely comedy/thriller, this one allows the range to take a breath from all the horror and character drama, in it’s place a bit of fun. There are still horror concepts at play in this but it’s the dialogue and the sparky relationship between Dorian and his friend in this fun simple story.

The Houses In between by Scott Harrison - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A nice supernatural story that offers plenty of horror that feels to the original source material this series comes from. Dorian investigating something simply impossible to conceive and managing to stop it only for now, the tensity is palpable and the brilliant sound design only adds to the eeriness.

The Twittering Of Sparrows by Gary Russell - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katy Manning and Alexander Vlahos have incredible chemistry in this oriental horror. Having Dorian playing off a family member, someone who knows him truly allows for greater insight into the character than usual and the plot is something that weaves nicely between the conversing between the two. The horror ending is a bit predictable but nonetheless very sad.

The Lord Of Misrule by Simon Barnard - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my favourite things is played with in this horror, with the mod/rocker scene in the 60s fitting into a supernatural story that sees Dorian in a band finding someone with the ‘Beatles Effect’ and him looking into why. The music and design to the story really make the story feel authentic to the setting, and with fun and dark dialogue you can simply enjoy many different elements mesh together easily.

The Heart That Lives Alone by Scott Handcock - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautiful and heartbreaking tale of a love that can never be, Scott Handcock breaks your heart, makes you laugh and possibly in cry in only 30 minutes. Alexander Vlahos and Hugh Skinner have exceptional chemistry right from the beginning and makes their blossoming relationship enchanting, and the horror of the story simply amounting to the things the two characters have to sacrifice because of their pasts.

The Fallen King Of Britain by Joseph Lidster - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sentient cocaine. This story is insane. An unusual setting and concept of the life of the bankers of London who make ridiculous money while doing effectively no work, and the costs of their opulence. Dorian is almost tame compared to the hedonistic characters of the story, and you almost see him mature through as he realises the costs of bad decisions. It resonates well to the character of Dorian and his backstory, and leaves you with lots to think about.

The Picture Of Loretta Delphine by Gary Russell - ⭐️⭐️

Quite frankly the weakest story of the set, a slow and uninspiring tale of human possession, and Dorians relationships with other people. It does nothing new and when compared to other stories comes across incredibly poorly in what it attempts. Dorian is really written weirdly in this with him basically being a normal person who is shocked and mortified by the supernatural, which is a bit odd for an immortal hedonist who sold his soul to the devil to remain forever young.

Running Away With You by Scott Handcock - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

An usual story that grows on you when revisited, going all the way back to Dorians youth pre-selling his soul, and paired with modern day Dorian who has to face the results of his actions. The disparity between them allow for lots to think about and notice in performance and understanding the character better. Lalla Ward is quite good as his opposite number here and she serves her purpose well to show a Dorian who is so trapped by rules and routine who more and more yearns for freedom.

Ghosts Of Christmas Past by Tony Lee - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A silly romp pairing Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Gray, this story clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously and has fun with a plot about hunting a serial killer with something supernatural about them. The main focus is really about Dorian and Sherlock’s relationship as the grow to understand and even like each other despite being almost mirror opposites. It’s nice to see Dorian used comedically but not for no reason, simply for the apprehension of something really valuable about the character of Dorian Gray; insight.

The Prime Of Deacon Brodie by Roy Gill - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A story of two halves, one part a romance and war story between two great characters, and the other part an underwhelming body-swap horror. Dorian and James’ story is incredibly enrapturing but it doesn’t get much as the forced necessity of some supernatural horror means body-swapping and doing nothing for about a third of the runtime. Not terrible or anything abhorent, just quite unremarkable overall.

The Mayfair Monster by Alexander Vlahos & Joylon Westhorpe - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alexander Vlahos penning a Dorian story is interesting and surprisingly results in a fantastic double feature full of drama and mystery. Natalie Isaacs is a brilliant antagonist who you just love to hate as the story moves on and really helps put Dorian in the heroic protagonist role well here. Colin Baker is the icing on the cake as a blustering security guard who ends up helping Dorian as the mystery thickens and adds some great comedic relief to the tensity.

Shades Of Gray by Scott Handcock - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a story part of the Bernice Summerfield range, and a pilot for the idea of Dorian being a real person this story can’t really be compared to others. That being said it is a nice little horror piece where Alexander Vlahos and Bernard Holley shine as a very enigmatic and creepy version of Dorian Gray who drives the plot along well and makes for a great antagonist in this one off.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serial Box Audio
Season 1 only: I really loved this! The dramatic narration was perfect. Dorian sounded exactly right, sexy, cocky, irresistible. Many of the stories were quite steamy. Dorian is always good for some bisexual debauchery! There was a strong supernatural element in these stories and things weren't always explained in the end but I'm fine with leaving some things mysterious. This makes me want to listen to more of this series. Great casting, fun stories, and some familiar characters (Sherlock Holmes, Oscar Wilde), and the movie-like music and sound effects make this an amazing listen.

[Thomas Sherlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Dorian Gray was a real immortal man who Oscar Wilde based his book on? The stories this inspired are dark, at times provocative and consistently surprising. I don’t think any story went the direction I thought it would and I loved that.

My only gripe with this collection is the order the stories are presented is very weird. It’s not truly committed to chronological nor is it the order they were originally released individually.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part I enjoyed these two series. There were some elements that I didn't care for, and I was not thrilled with the ending of series 2. It was a bland ending for the character, even knowing that there is more to come.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Alexander Vlahos is simply a fantastic Dorian :)

[Michael Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well performed, but not sure it is for me. Will not purchase the next season.

[Lee Gannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This World Our Hell only.

[Elisabethclaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexander Vlahos can read anything and I’d listen but all the stories in this series were interesting and heartbreaking in their own way..

[Mia Ferraioli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow I got so many feels from this series I can't even. It was well written and the voice acting was marvelous. Alexander Vlahos is a great actor and series 01 and 02 highlights this. What sells me on audiobooks is the voices behind it. If they lack the emotions or the nuance of the story then it's just as if you were reading it on your own, but Alex really sold me on it. The emotions he and all the voice actors and actresses portray in this is simply breathtaking. The pain we hear in Dorian's voice, especially in the Heart that Lives Alone, made me cry and weep. I felt his pain in that moment and it broke me. There was one story I didn't particularly like; not that it was bad but it wasn't a personal favorite but even that I'd listen to again once in a while. I love how it mixes horror and humor as well. Some are all gore and horror but with a premise like that I'd expect some to be without humor.

Overall this is definitely a favorite and I can't wait to listen to the rest of the series; I definitely would recommend this to anyone and everyone.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This series hooked me in from the beginning and kept me listening. I love what BF have done with the Dorian Gray story. The individual stories take place in different time periods from late 19thC to the 27th C and everything in between. They all have twists and several of them were OMG I didn't see THAT coming. Great cast, with a few familiar voices.

So pleased I already have season 3 to listen to as I need to know what happens to Dorian next.