Guide to ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ on Broadway starring Sarah Snook

The Emmy Award-winning Succession star makes her Broadway debut performing all 26 characters in this Oscar Wilde adaptation that sold out in London’s West End.

Having captivated global audiences with performances on stage and screen, Emmy Award-winning actress Sarah Snook will make her much-anticipated Broadway debut in a solo theatrical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Snook plays all 26 roles in the production, which incorporates live performance and video in a hybrid of classical theatre and real-time theatre — a form that adapter/director Kip Williams calls "cine-theatre, when stage and screen combine."

The story follows a strikingly handsome yet deeply vain man who sells his soul to stay young forever while a portrait of him slowly decays. Snook first performed The Picture of Dorian Gray in London's West End, winning the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in 2024 — the same year she received Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance as Siobhan "Shiv" Roy in the hit HBO series Succession.

London Theatre's five-star review of Snook in Dorian Gray reads, "This form-bending, innovative feat of a production and performance will have your jaw on the floor... Everything is an illusion, except for Snook who is giving one of the bravest and most unabashed performances I’ve ever seen onstage."

Before you see Snook's tour-de-force for yourself, learn more about The Picture of Dorian Gray, playing a limited run at the Music Box Theatre.

Check back for information on The Picture of Dorian Gray tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

What is The Picture of Dorian Gray about?

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray follows Dorian, a handsome and impressionable young man whose life changes after artist Basil Hallward paints his portrait. Influenced by the manipulative Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian wishes that the portrait, not he, will age and bear the consequences of his actions. He gets his wish, but pays a dark price.

Where is The Picture of Dorian Gray playing?

The Picture of Dorian Gray plays at Broadway's Music Box Theatre, located at 239 W. 45th St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. Opened in 1921 and originally intended as a home for intimate musicals, the Music Box has become a beloved Broadway venue, known for its elegant design and cozy 1,025-seat capacity.

In recent years, the Music Box Theatre has hosted acclaimed productions such as Dear Evan Hansen, Suffs, and Purlie Victorious.

How long is The Picture of Dorian Gray?

The Picture of Dorian Gray runs approximately 2 hours with no intermission. This is an average length for a Broadway play; shows typically run anywhere between 90 minutes and 3 hours.

What days is The Picture of Dorian Gray playing?

The Picture of Dorian Gray typically plays eight performances a week at the Music Box Theatre, with performances scheduled every day except Monday. There are two performances on Saturdays and select weekdays.

The standard schedule is subject to one-off changes, particularly during early performances and around holidays. Please visit our The Picture of Dorian Gray page to learn more.

When did The Picture of Dorian Gray premiere?

This production of The Picture of Dorian Gray was first produced by Sydney Theatre Company in Australia before going on to London and New York. Its source material, however, has a much longer history. Discover a timeline of The Picture of Dorian Gray below.

• 1890: Oscar Wilde publishes The Picture of Dorian Gray as a novella in July of 1890 in an issue of the American periodical Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine.
• 1890: The novel-length version of The Picture of Dorian Gray is published, expanding the text from thirteen to twenty chapters and adding the book's now-famous preface.
• 2020: The world premiere of Kip Williams's stage adaptation takes place at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney, Australia, produced by the Sydney Theatre Company. Eryn Jean Norvill starred.
• 2022: The Picture of Dorian Gray tours to Australia's Adelaide Festival, followed by a return season in Sydney and then a 10-week run at the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne.
• 2024: The production makes its West End debut at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, starring Sarah Snook. Dorian Gray won two Olivier Awards for Best Actress and Best Costume Design.
• 2025: The Picture of Dorian Gray opens on Broadway in March 2025, with Snook reprising her role.

Who wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray?

Famed 19th-century Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde wrote the original moral fantasy novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890. The 2025 Broadway version of The Picture of Dorian Gray was adapted by Kip Williams, who also directs the piece.

The Picture of Dorian Gray characters

Snook covers all 26 named roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Some of the major characters from the novel include the title character, whose portrait ages instead of him; Basil Hallward, who paints the portrait; Lord Henry Wotton, a negative influence on Dorian; and Sibyl Vane, Dorian's love interest.

The play also features an onstage camera crew who update the classical tale with whizzing cameras, all circling Snook. They don't play named characters, but the show relies heavily on this team of dynamic theatre artists.

What awards has The Picture of Dorian Gray won?

This Picture of Dorian Gray play might be new to U.S. audiences, but both Sydney and London awards organizations have given the production significant honors since its 2020 premiere.

• Olivier Awards: Sarah Snook won for Best Actress and Marg Horwell won for Best Costume Design at the 2024 Olivier Awards in London.
• Sydney Theatre Awards: The Picture of Dorian Gray has won multiple Sydney Theatre Awards including Best Mainstage Production, Best Direction of a Mainstage Production (Kip Williams), and Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production.

Major productions of The Picture of Dorian Gray

There have been many stage adaptations of Wilde's novel worldwide, but Kip Williams's is the first to appear on Broadway. His The Picture of Dorian Gray has mesmerized audiences worldwide with its innovative storytelling and striking cinematic techniques. Below are the major productions so far of Williams’ play.

• 2020 world premiere: The Picture of Dorian Gray makes its world premiere in November 2020 at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney, Australia.
• 2024 West End premiere: The Picture of Dorian Gray makes its West End premiere in January 2024 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.
• 2025 Broadway premiere: The Picture of Dorian Gray debuts on Broadway in March 2025 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City.

Onscreen adaptations of The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Sarah Snook-led production of The Picture of Dorian Gray does not have a film adaptation, but Wilde's novel has been reimagined into more than 10 films. Highlights include the acclaimed 1945 film, which won an Oscar for cinematography and earned Angela Lansbury a Best Supporting Actress nomination, and the 2009 film Dorian Gray with Ben Barnes and Colin Firth.

Fun facts about The Picture of Dorian Gray

With source material from one of history’s most famous, enigmatic, and controversial writers, The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway is bound to embody Oscar Wilde's playful imagination both on stage and off. Here are some more fun facts about this cutting-edge production.

• Wilde wrote many plays, essays, and poems, but The Picture of Dorian Gray is his only novel.
• When Wilde submitted The Picture of Dorian Gray to Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, the editor thought it was indecent and deleted 500 words. An "uncensored" edition of the text with the deleted sections was released in 2011.
• Upon first publication, a reviewer criticized Wilde’s debut novel for "it’s effeminate frivolity, its studied insincerity, its theatrical cynicism, its tawdry mysticism, its flippant philosophizing, its contaminating trail of garish vulgarity."
• Williams engages with vulgarity, beauty, and social media through The Picture of Dorian Gray by having Snook film herself on a phone at certain points in the show, and this footage and other camera feeds appear live in screens on the stage.

How to get The Picture of Dorian Gray tickets

Perfect for fans of Gothic literature, this genre-breaking adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray brings Oscar Wilde’s classic to life in a never-before-seen way. With magnetic multimedia design, a tried-and-true narrative, and a show-stopping performance from Snook, this Broadway experience remains timeless and beautiful.

Check back for information on The Picture of Dorian Gray tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: Sarah Snook in The Picture of Dorian Gray. (Photos by Marc Brenner)