The role of Bosie … reading about him leaves us believing he was often unkind, selfish, and manipulative of Wilde. Hard to imagine Colin making him likeable as he has done with every other role thus far. Colin as a scoundrel. How will we absorb that? He not only challenges himself, he is challenging us as well. We seem to continue to learn from him, and our affection grows ever deeper.
This is an interesting departure for Colin. A character very hard to like or embrace. Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed ‘Bosie’, became Oscar Wilde’s constant companion, the love of his life and his downfall. By all accounts, Bosie did not treat Wilde well. From their meeting in 1891, the attachment grew. They traveled together and, when apart, corresponded frequently. These letters were not guarded well, and some were later used to incriminate Wilde for his trial. There are stories of Bosie’s gambling and extravagant tastes, relying on Wilde to come to his rescue … a spoiled young man who used his influence with Wilde to benefit himself with little regard for his patron.