Kevin Kennedy takes on dark new role in THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY: A NEW MUSICAL
Photo credit: Supplied by the production
A golden milestone: Kevin Kennedy celebrates 50 years in show business. The Coronation Street favourite, who started performing at just 14, is marking the milestone with one of his darkest roles yet as Mr Isaacs in The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical.
Kevin said: “Ultimately, whatever the medium, I love telling stories. I think in the world we live in, we need that escapism. We need laughter, we need heroes and villains and perhaps more importantly than ever, we need the occasional happy ending.”
Live theatre, however, has always held a particular place for Kevin, and now, five decades after he first started performing, Kevin is taking on a brand-new musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.
A faithful retelling of Wilde’s Gothic tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical follows a young man whose extraordinary beauty, wealth and charm become his downfall after a single wish binds his fate to a mysterious portrait.
Kevin plays Mr Isaacs, a deplorable businessman who runs an old theatre, with young actress Sibyl Vane as his protégée.
A powerful original score brings Victorian London to life in a sung-through theatrical experience, with the 13-strong cast heading out on a UK-wide tour from October.
The Picture of Dorian Gray: A New Musical opens at Darlington Hippodrome on 19 October before touring the UK.