Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray

Sex, drugs and terrible synth music are the order of the day as Britain's most popular choreographer takes on Oscar Wilde's famous fable. Matthew Bourne relocates Wilde's narcisisstic nineteenth-century anti-hero to the present day advertising industry, as Dorian becomes the face of a new men's fragrance and subsequent celeb. The result is akin to flicking through a beautifully designed glossy magazine, with Lez Brotherston's swivelling sets stealing the show. Richard Winsor's Dorian remains a blank canvas, much like models are supposed to, and the only scenes with real bite and chemistry are his steamy tussles with photographer Basil Hallward. Terry Davies's brain-numbing score overwhelms any narrative subtleties we might have been searching for, but it all coalesces for Dorian's descent into the grotesque and the hard-hitting finale proves that Bourne and co can still pack a dramatic punch when they need to.