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The Oscar Wilde BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art

The Oscar Wilde BBC Radio Drama Collection

Written by: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes,Judi Dench,Diana Rigg,Michael Sheen,full cast,Martin Jarvis,Martin Clunes,Ian McKellen,Stephen Fry,Simon Russell Beale
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Publisher's Summary

The collected BBC radio productions of the major works of Oscar Wilde, plus bonus play by Neil Bartlett.

Loved for his flamboyant personality, sparkling wit and brilliant epigrams, Oscar Wilde was a comic genius and a literary icon.

This collection reflects the many facets of his dazzling talent. Here are dramatisations of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Gothic tale of a gilded aristocrat who makes a dangerous pact, as well as four scintillating social comedies – Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Among the distinguished casts are Ian MacDiarmid, Joely Richardson, Edward Fox, Diana Rigg, Martin Clunes, Michael Hordern and Judi Dench.

Moving examples of his correspondence are revealed in The Letters of Oscar Wilde and De Profundis, read by Simon Callow and Simon Russell Beale respectively, and his most famous poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is performed live by stars including Ian McKellen, Neil Tennant and Stephen Fry.

In addition, a bonus drama, In Extremis by Neil Bartlett, starring Corin Redgrave and Sheila Hancock, reimagines Oscar Wilde's hastily arranged sitting with a society palm reader, a week before the trial that would cost him so dearly.

©2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about The Oscar Wilde BBC Radio Drama Collection

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Consummate performance

Content: 3.5/5 Very good
Narration: 6/5 Superb
Writing: 4.5/5 Excellent

Some of it comes across as a bit dated and suited to another place - Victorian England, but never the less the work is timeless about social attitudes and human pettiness. Picture of Dorian Gray is the best in my opinion, and thankfully it comes first. Close to psychological horror. Recommended for anyone interested in aging and vanity - not entirely female concerns. The British (Irish to be exact) author is a famous fin de siècle upper-class man known for his not so private homosexuality (he was criminally prosecuted for moral corruption of a much younger man) and his hilarious wit. He became the editor of Woman's Weekly and wrote many stage-plays such as these. The production qualities of the audio are top-notch, the acting too. Some of the author's non-fiction work is also included, example De Profundis (quote: "where there is sorrow, there is holy ground.").

Wilde is not a hero, he is a morally weak, intellectually sharp creative genius who went to prison and who died due to respiratory complications which began during his incarceration. Wilde was a borderline pederast when there were few strict laws about age of consent. He was both romantically involved and a patron of the rough trade ('rent boys' as the mid-teen male prostitutes were called at the time). His status as a Marilyn Monroe-like icon to educated gay men remains to this day (though some writers are questioning whether 'deserved' because they say he was exploitative). Whatever a reader's opinion is on legal and social matters and whether his character should even be considered relative to literary value, his observations about society are unquestionably astute. I enjoyed learning the literary context for his many quotes.

I liked the entirety of content except the screeching voice of the female narrator in the last piece, 'In Extremis'

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  • Eric Feigenbaum
  • 2021-02-24

No chapter titles?

Downloaded, barely started. I’m sure the content is great, but how can you have an audio book composed of multiple plays, with no functional way to navigate between them? I literally don’t even know which one I’m listening to right now. It just started, and the lack of chapter titles makes it impossible to choose a specific play. Guys, this is such a simple thing to fix, and its failing is a major detriment to what I’m guessing are some perfectly wonderful productions of terrific material. Any chance you might update?

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28 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • C. M. Otto
  • 2019-04-25

A great book and a great cast

Wish it didn’t end.
Great book great stories. Easy to see why movies were made from them and why they are classics.
There is a new way to experience these stories thanks to BBC Radio (seriously does anyone make a listen come alive like the British?)
Listening allows a person to imagine the characters and scenes. I believe we have great imaginations and can spin a scene to fit our personal perspectives and not be bound to a movie directors vision.

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21 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Anonymous User
  • 2019-04-06

Disappointingly bland

L. A. Theatres' production of Wilde's plays is so much better. Many of the performers in this version are merely reading aloud, with little to no expression. They have managed to make Wilde's comedies... entirely unfunny. Very disappointing.

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13 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Jesse Steffens
  • 2020-12-07

can't hear half of it

if you're going to make an audible book... .and it audible. some people are close to the mic and others you can't hear at all.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • ninewest57th
  • 2019-04-10

Stories are great. Performance not so great.

This BBC versions of Oscar Wilde's plays are not as well done as the LA Theater Works productions.

Unfortunately, the LA Theater Works versions are also not available on Audible. In order to experience those productions, one has to go to the LA Theater Works website.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Blake Firner
  • 2019-11-28

Better every time!

I knew I loved Wild, but I always seem to forget how much till I re-experience it! The voice actors were perfect!

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Lindsay
  • 2020-02-20

Performances were amazing!

Perfectly acted. Wonderfully put together. The only negatives I can give are I wish the chapers were labeled to the plays performed and the last work not by Oscar Wilde was seriously lacking comparatively and felt like a slightly weak note to end the collection on.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • keyisfake
  • 2019-10-05

Oscar

Wonderful read. Wished he died a happy man. He deserves much more than what he go. The world missed out on an amazing writer.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-07-27

Oscar Wilde BBC radio dramatization

I really was expecting this to be better than it was. It was enjoyable. A little disappointing. I guess I expected too much from the cast.
If you love Oscar Wilde You should enjoy this.

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2 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2019-06-01

One of the few readers I took an instant dislike t

I was browsing when I thought, "Gosh, I've never read much Oscar Wilde>" Well, I was right all along. His quips are famous, but the writing is harsh and uninteresting.

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  • Scruffey
  • 2021-07-09

Outdated

Shows it's age. I can't relate to this.
Must have been great in olden times.

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  • Celeste Rochery
  • 2021-05-31

Beautiful

Side splitting laughter, and tears shed for this amazing author, who feels like a a voice inside my head now.
Full of witticisms and hidden human truths. An all time favourite.

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