A tale shrouded in darkness, duplicity and self-indulgence, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is coming to Stafford this December.

Just months after their highly successful production of Abigail's Party, the Stafford Players are returning to captivate audiences once again at the Gatehouse Theatre.

Inspired by Oscar Wilde's novel, the story has been adapted for the stage by Merlin Holland (Wilde's grandson) and playwright John O'Connor.

The play follows aristocrat Dorian Gray as he makes a deal with the devil in exchange for eternal youth, altering the course of his life and those of his friends forever.

Stafford Nub News caught up with the cast and crew to get a behind the scenes glimpse of the show.

Director Clare Williams has been fascinated by the gothic since her teens and after directing the society's production of Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray seemed like the natural next step.

Clare said: "I find the story really interesting, and I like the vibe of it.

"When I'm directing, I like to really immerse the audience in the atmosphere before it [the show] even begins with half an hour of really atmospheric music, just to get everyone in the mood.

"I want people's hair to be on end before they even start watching.

"Some of the scenes are very heavy, and there's no way that you can get around that, but interspersed between them, there's some opportunities for a little bit of light relief and a little bit of comedy."

Mitchel Sargeant, who is taking on the part of Dorian, said: "It's a very demanding role.

"It's a very fun role to play."

Throughout the show, Dorian is constantly torn between the guiding light of kind-hearted painter Basil and the corrupting influence of the hedonistic Lord Henry.

Mitchel continued: "He is a sponge.

"At first, he takes on all of Basil's teachings but once Lord Henry comes into his life, that corruption seeps in."

Lord Henry will be brought to life by Stafford Players' stalwart David Harfield with Ollie Entwistle as Basil.

David said: "He's very self-centred [Lord Henry] in the sense that he just wants pleasure.

"He's ultimately out for himself.

"He knows how to be charming and he knows how to work that to his own ends.

"Lord Henry is not evil as such, but he's a bad character, and they're always the ones that are fun to play, because they're the ones who always have the power."

Speaking about getting into character, Ollie said: "Basil kind of happens as soon as the emotions do because he doesn't have as much of a defined character.

"He is an artist, he is all about his emotions.

"It's a case of getting used to how he relates to everyone else rather than how he is on his own."

The show will start its run at the Gatehouse on Wednesday 4 November with the final performance taking place on Saturday 7 November.

Producer Andrea Keady, who will also be playing Lady Henry and an opium seller, said: "It's always good to do this kind of thing around Halloween.

"I always think the audience is kind of in the mood, because pumpkins are in the shops and ghosts and ghouls and all the rest of it.

"I think it's just quite nice to tap into the spooky season."

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