Sarah Snook is currently on Broadway in the hit one-woman transfer of The Picture of Dorian Gray. In the show, the Succession star takes on the enormous challenge of playing 26 different characters throughout the performance, a feat that won her an Oliver Award on the West End. However, the performer admits she wasn’t overly knowledgable about the plot before embarking on this challenge.
“I hadn’t read the text at all,” she said on a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “It was great to know I was doing it and then diving into the actual book.” During the show’s nearly two-hour runtime, Snook speaks 60,000 words, which utilizes high-tech choreography, projections, and more.
“Something went wrong the other night…I had never done this before [but] I accidentally did the wrong voice for the wrong character. And I asked the director if he knew, and he said, ‘No!'” Snook said with a laugh. In terms of memorization, the performer noted that it is easier to remember the show in order and has a difficult time picking up specific lines or scenes out of context. “I’ve got to start at the beginning and go all the way through.” Watch the full interview now.
The Sydney Theatre Company production of The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Emmy and Olivier Award winner Sarah Snook, is playing at the Music Box Theatre through June 29, 2025. Read the reviews here.
Sarah Snook makes her Broadway debut playing 26 characters in this adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s only novel. Snook is best known for playing Shiv Roy in the hit series “Succession,” a role that earned her global acclaim. Over four seasons, she received an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and a Critics Choice Award for her performance.
The celebrated world premiere of The Picture of Dorian Gray in 2020 extended twice in Sydney and toured to critical and audience acclaim throughout Australia. Last year in London, The Picture of Dorian Gray was adored by critics and audiences alike and earned Snook a 2024 Best Actress Olivier Award and a Best Costume Design Olivier Award for Marg Horwell.
Williams’ interpretation of Wilde’s tale of beauty, excess, and a deal with the devil brings a striking resonance in our current era, holding a mirror to 21st century society’s narcissistic obsession with youth.