AWARD-WINNING actor Gerard Logan and distinguished adapter and director Gareth Armstrong have paired two great pieces of writing.

Wilde Without the Boy is a dramatic interpretation of De Profundis, Oscar Wilde’s bitterly passionate letter to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, written from his cell in Reading Gaol two years after he was imprisoned for acts of gross indecency.

Brilliant, loving, witty and passionate, Wilde Without the Boy is a glimpse into the humbled, bruised, loving soul of one of the greatest geniuses ever to have lived.

The Ballad of Reading Gaol, written after his release, is a narrative poem which relates the execution of Charles Thomas Wooldridge for the murder of his wife.

Wilde had suggested it be published in Reynold’s Magazine, “because it circulates widely among the criminal classes – to which I now belong – for once I will be read by my peers – a new experience for me”. Wilde Without the Boy and The Ballad of Reading Gaol are performed by Gerard Logan.

The actor has played leading classical and contemporary roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he received an Olivier Award nomination, and the National Theatre.

He won The Stage Best Solo Performer Award at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival for his performance in The Rape of Lucrece, as previously seen at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre.

Director Gareth Armstrong has developed and directed many hugely successful solo shows, including his own award-winning play Shylock at the Edinburgh Festival.

Wilde Without the Boy and The Ballad of Reading Gaol can be seen at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on Thursday, June 4 at 7.45pm.

Tickets, priced from £10 to £17.50, are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at sjt.uk.com