Profound thoughts on the Wilde times

COMPOSED over three months in Reading Gaol towards the end of Oscar Wilde’s incarceration for gross indecency, De Profundis has been described as one of the greatest love letters.

Dedicated to his former lover Lord Alfred Douglas, commonly known as Bosie, Wilde’s soulsearching testament is brought to life on stage at the Fringe by Simon Callow in this abridged but moving monologue.

‘I don’t write this letter to put bitterness into your heart, but to pluck it out of mine,’ wrote Wilde.

But the tone of reproach at his former lover jostles for equal measure with the tone of penitence here. Callow, in a sober dark suit, eschews any attempt at impersonation of the celebrated boulevardier.

He employs all his skill in traversing the life, times, loves, art and meditations of the selfdeclared genius who lived life as a comedy but ended it in tragedy.

We follow the trajectory of the relationship that laid Wilde low before society, alongside reflections on his career, his fame and his eventual notoriety.

He may claim to have no one to blame but himself but, Wilde being Wilde, he cannot resist finding time to blame others while allowing flashes of wit and vanity to punctuate his newfound sackcloth humility.

Callow seizes the text with relish, switching effortlessly from Wilde’s anger at Bosie’s refusal to let him be to more measured reflections on the good old, bad old days – at times marvelling, albeit in conciliatory tones, at his dazzling part in them.

Assembly Rooms, until Aug 24