De Profundis review – Oscar Wilde brought alive with righteous rage

Coronet theatre, London
Anguished monologue based on letter to jailed playwright’s ex-lover is gripping in its illumination of a tortured artist

Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis really does belong to the depths. Written as a letter to his ex-lover after being jailed for homosexuality, it reflects soul-crushing torments.

Its adaptation into a monologue rarely gets an outing, perhaps because it is so bleak, but is staged by the Berliner Ensemble with heaps of extra angst for good measure.

At the Coronet theatre, London, until 7 October