THE HAPPY PRINCE

Part social commentary, part fairy tale, Oscar Wilde's bittersweet tale is as significant today as when it was first published in 1888. It is a classic story of love, compassion and selflessness which will appeal to an audience of all ages.

Wilde’s rich and dramatic portrayal of the human condition is a somewhat fantastical representation of the social divide and abject poverty and that typified Victorian London.

The humour and acerbic wit that characterises so many of Wilde’s novels and plays is coupled with a strong moral message in this short story or fable. It is a message full of hope and the possibility of salvation through personal sacrifice, both physical, as it is experienced by the Happy Prince and emotional, as exemplified by the selfless swallow.

As a talented and widely recognized playwright even in his own time, it’s no surprise that Oscar Wilde still possesses the ability to dazzle audiences with suspense, wit and at times heart breaking prose more than a hundred years since his death.

Oscar Wilde’s rich and dramatic portrayals of the human condition came during the height of the Victorian Era that swept through London in the late 19th century. At a time when all citizens of Britain were finally able to embrace literature the wealthy and educated could only once afford, Wilde wrote many short stories, plays and poems that continue to inspire millions around the world. The one we have chosen is The Happy Prince.

Wilde looks for a way to save the soul in front of the misery of the world. His story of a society that lives in privilege blind to the suffering of the poor confronts us on many levels. In this tale the happy Prince manages to obtain salvation by giving up all that he has to those he feels he has neglected. This work portrays the sadness of social condition but also conveys a moral full of hope.

Part social commentary, part fairy tale, Wilde's bittersweet tale is as significant today as when it was first published in 1888. The classic story of compassion and selflessness will appeal to all ages.

A classic story of great compassion, delicacy and depth needs a voice to match. As one of the most iconic and highly regarded English actors Jeremy Irons never fails to impress. We are extraordinarily honoured to have him as part of our artistic team.

CV in brief: He trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is now President of its fundraising appeal. He performed a number of plays and supported himself by busking on the streets of Bristol, before appearing on the London stage as John the Baptist opposite David Essex in Godspell. After several appearances on British television, including the children's television series Playaway, and an adaptation of the H.E. Bates novel Love for Lydia in 1977, his film debut came in 1980 in Nijinsky. The role which brought him fame was that of Charles Ryder in the television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited in 1981. Brideshead reunited him with Anthony Andrews, with whom he had appeared in The Pallisers seven years earlier. Also in 1981, he starred in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman opposite Meryl Streep.

In 1984 Irons won a Tony Award for his Broadway performance opposite Glenn Close in The Real Thing. He appeared sporadically in films during the 1980s, including the Cannes Palme d'Or winner The Mission in 1986, and in the dual role of twin physicians in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers in 1988. Other films include Reversal of Fortune (1990) (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), Kafka (1991), Damage (1993), The House of the Spirits (1993) appearing again with Glenn Close and Meryl Streep, Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty (1996), the 1997 remake of Lolita and as the musketeer Aramis opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1998 film version of The Man in the Iron Mask (1998).

One of his best known film roles has turned out to be the voice of Scar in The Lion King (1994). Irons has since provided voiceovers for two Disney World attractions. He narrated the Spaceship Earth ride, housed in the large geodesic globe at Epcot, and voiced H.G. Wells in the English version of the former Disney attraction The Timekeeper.

In 2005, he appeared in the films Casanova opposite Heath Ledger, and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. Also in 2005, Irons won both an Emmy award and a Golden Globe award for his supporting role in the TV mini-series, Elizabeth I. He is currently appearing on the West End stage in the play Embers.

On July 18, 2006, the BBC announced that Irons would be one of the participants in the third series of their documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?[1] He also played the storyteller Brom in the 2006 film version of Eragon. He will be the narrator for Val Kilmer and Bill Pullman's brand-new Lewis and Clark movie from Revolution Studios.