The Yugoslav Drama Theatre production of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, directed by Nataša Radulović, will open this year’s 31st International Small Scene Theatre Festival in Rijeka on Monday, 4th May.
In her opening remarks, the Rijeka Festival selector Jasen Boko states: “This year’s festival, the 31st to date, is perhaps the first in its history not to gather performances around a single theme. The world, and its impact on the individual, presents too complex a picture today to be reduced to a single issue (…)
Through Nataša Radulović’s direction, the Yugoslav Drama Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray—dealing with the obsession with beauty, perfection, and the painful changes brought by aging—takes on connotations Wilde could never have dreamed of. In today’s era of selfie-obsession and influencers, science has recognized a mental health disorder of the modern developed world: Dorian Gray Syndrome (DGS). An individual’s preoccupation with their own appearance and the constant need to broadcast it to the public has reached alarming proportions, resulting in a refusal to accept a normal life—one that leads to maturity and, ultimately, old age.”
The premiere of The Picture of Dorian Gray took place on 10th October 2025, marking the first premiere performance of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre’s current season.
