Oscar Wilde’s only published novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is due for a film adaptation. Dorian Gray will be released in September, 2009.

Wilde’s sexuality has been much discussed —he was definitely not heterosexual, and the hedenostic protagonist of his creation, Dorian Gray, follows suit.

For those unfamiliar with this story, here is a brief recap; Dorian Gray is a beautiful socialite, who trades his soul to keep his looks. Though he remains perfect looking, his nature becomes more vicious and evil. In contrast, a portrait of Dorian in the attic slowly gets older and uglier, reflecting the soulless monster he becomes.

The trailer looks rather faithful to the book (some parts even look like little salutes to previous film adaptations).

The film director, Oliver Parker, has suggested that the once subversive novel is nowadays more a part of tradition, and he wants to “blow off the dust”. Will this Dorian Gray really remain “the very portrait of modernity”? From the trailer, I’m not entirely convinced, but I’ll have to wait till September to say.

Meanwhile, I introduce you to what looks like (to me) an effective adaptation of Dorian Gray.

Wilde was a person of words; witty, pithy, and memorable. That this adaptation is a dance (without words), is quite a skillful switch of languages to me, from spoken, to physical:

It is choreographer/director Matthew Bourne’s Dorian Gray. In this modernised version, Dorian Gray is immortalised in billboards as the face of a new perfume. Dorian Gray is a celebrity, serial killer, and from the looks of it, a rakish devil.

Those who will like to watch more of Matthew Bourne’s Dorian Gray should click here (and wait for 1:50).

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As an aside, I am currently collecting stories of people who went for KL Pride poolside party. If you’ve not heard, Harian Metro sent a female journalist undercover to the party, and she wrote something one would expect from the tabloid that is HM.

It’s a nasty piece of work, that article, and I am angered at the parties responsible. If you, or your family, are regular readers of HM, I suggest not giving them any more business.

Apparently all kinds of scandalous things happened at the party. For one thing, how dare lesbians dance without shame? Everyone knows homosexuals are only allowed to dance with a cower in their footsteps. And….kissing? Are you mocking the hate-rag that is Harian Metro, even though they had no bloody business being there?

[ To those who hooked up, picked up, and got their rocks off that night, good on ya ]

Well, I’m glad it sounds like you all had some fun at the party; I’m sorry about the crap that HM published. Fuck what Harian Metro had to say, their version of the party was crap, and let’s face it, written to sensationalise everything. Like you wouldn’t get the same stuff in different events.

I didn’t go for the party (I’m currently not in the country). I don’t want the only thing I know about the party to be from the scummy article I read, and I’m sure there are others who would prefer we reclaim what happened that night.

I want to hear from you.

How did the party go? Did you find it friendly?

What outfit did you pick? Did you meet any new people (you hung out with your cliques, kan? )?

Did you go into the pool? Were there any interesting people?

Were you the last one standing? How many girls were wearing boybeaters?

Who had an awkward bump-in with their ex, and their ex’s ex, who is now hitting on the same straight girl as you? How was the DJ?

If you have an anecdote on how the party went, please do email lainieyeoh@gmail.com soon (really soon), I’d like to hear from you. Anything. Save me from the crap memory that came from Harian Metro.