91Èȱ¬

Master storyteller and award-winning choreographer Matthew Bourne has once again thrilled Norfolk audiences with his creative genius as Dorian Gray, his re-working of the classic gothic fable from Oscar Wilde, comes to a close at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

His first new production in three years, the show reunites designer Les Brotherston, composer Terry Davies and lighting designer Paule Constable - the team that created the double Olivier award-winning hit Play Without Words.

Matthew Bourne

For Matthew Bourne, Norfolk is something of a home-from-home.

His productions of Nutcracker, The Car Man, Highland Fling, Play Without Words and Edward Scissorhands have all played here and what we think of the material is important to him.

"Norwich audiences really appreciate the work now and have come with us on a journey of all the difference pieces we've done here over the years," he said.

"I've learnt to really trust the audience and their response here and to respect them," he added.

Image obsessed world

Set in the image obsessed world of contemporary art and politics, Dorian Gray tells the story of an exceptionally alluring young man who makes a pact with the devil.

Among London's beautiful people, Dorian Gray is the 'It Boy' - an icon of beauty and truth in an increasingly ugly world. It's a tale which Bourne has transformed into a contemporary work of seductive dance theatre.

"I think we felt that we would have an audience here [in Norwich] that would be ready for something different. We knew it would be experimental and a bit edgy," he said.

"I was drawn to the book for what it suggested.

"It was one of the first novels that was about male relationships where you could actually feel it in there. It wasn't very specific, but that's what was going on, that's what Wilde intended –I've no doubts about that all."

Richard Winsor (left) and Aaron Sillis

Bourne's re-working of Dorian Gray, starring Norwich-born dancer Aaron Sillis in the principal role of Basil Hallward, takes the novel from the 1890's into today's image obsessed and fashion conscious world.

The painting of Dorian is replaced by an onslaught of iconic images splattered across the media.

"I thought what's the modern equivalent [of the painting], how would you get known today through imagery," said Matthew Bourne.

"I thought what it would be is a multiple image, something you'd see in every magazine, in every advert on TV, on billboards – it's an image you see whenever you go, so in some waysÌýit gets more inside you than a single portrait would do.

"Today, that's how fame begins in many ways. I wasn't saying, 'That's one picture of Dorian Gray and it's a billboard model for an aftershave,' that is just one of many things he becomes.

"Now we're always telling each other how good we look and everyone's buying anti-wrinkle cream.

"It's a modern obsession and built into the idea of being a celebrity is retaining your looks and your youth. We all feel that, unfortunately, that the more young and attractive we look the better we'll get on in life," he added.

'Oscar would love it'

Actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry, who grew up in Norfolk, was in the audience at Dorian Gray's opening night in Norwich on Tuesday, 16 September, 2008. He played the role of the writer in Wilde, a film released in 1997.

"I think he was genuinely wowed by it. Obviously he's an expert on Wilde and the book and knew exactly what we were doing with it and loved all the parallels," said Matthew.

Michele Meazza as Lady H in Dorian Gray

"He said he thought that Oscar would, 'Love it' and coming from him that was quite something.

"It was great to have him here for our opening. He went round all the dressing rooms afterwards which was great. To have his approval was quite important," he added.

New adventures

As Dorian Gray moves from Norwich to Newcastle to play the final dates on it's five venue tour, though plans are in hand to create a more extensive tour in 2009, Matthew's attention is turning to new adventures.

"I've got an Hitchcock idea with the music of Bernard Herrman, it's something we might do in two years time and to revive Cinderella, which we've never toured.

"There's a couple of film projects and it's possible I'm going to choreograph the numbers in a new film of My Fair Lady which is being make with Keira Knightly," he said.

Strictly Come Dancing

But in the short-term, he's planning to spend Saturday night's in front of the telly along with 14 million other viewers to enjoy Strictly Come Dancing.

As 91Èȱ¬ One puts the sparkle back into the weekend with the sixth series of the show, Matthew admits he's quite a fan, though he'd never want to be a judge.

"I don't want to have to look great every Saturday night and be all tarted up, the pressure of that would be enormous to me – I'm quite a casual person. I enjoy it too much watching it at home on a Saturday night to actually be in it," he said.

Camilla Dallerup and Tom Chambers

"What I genuinely love about it is that it's made people realise that dancing is something they could possibly do.

"They see these people get better every week and I think the public feel and see this genuine excitement the performers when they remember what they're doing and they get the steps right.

"It's contagious and it's made people want to see dance and learn to dance. Apart from that who'd have thought it would be a big hit on TV these days, ballroom dancing!

"People become more appealing when they can move well. They become sexier and we're drawn to them more," he added.

But when it comes to actually ballroom dancing, can Matthew Bourne shimmy in sequins under a giant mirror ball?

"Not really, no - I'd be like one of the celebrities trying to learn actually," he said.

"I can count and I've got rhythm, but I've never learnt it [ballroom]. But I've always loved Fred and Ginger which is basically a form of ballroom dancing, so I love it for those reasons.

"And the complexity of it. It's very hard what they do and as a dancer you can see that. You couldn't necessarily get any dancer to it either, it's a style thing – a lot of ballet dancers would probably find it really difficult to move like that," he added.

Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray was at the Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday, 16 toÌý Saturday, 19 September, 2008.