The Ballard of Reading Gaol - WonderlandStudios.com

OSCAR WILDE

OSCAR WILDE Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. He is remembered for his epigrams, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his plays, as well as the circumstances of his imprisonment and early death. In France, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life. He died destitute in Paris at the age of 46.

THE BALLAD OF READING GOAL

The Ballad of Reading Gaol is a poem by Oscar Wilde, written in exile in Berneval-le-Grand after his release from Reading Gaol (pronounced “redding jail”) on 19 May 1897. Wilde had been incarcerated in Reading after being convicted of homosexual offences in 1895 and sentenced to two years’ hard labour in prison.

During his imprisonment, on Tuesday, 7 July 1896, a hanging took place. Charles Thomas Wooldridge had been a trooper in the Royal Horse Guards. He was convicted of cutting the throat of his wife, Laura Ellen, earlier that year at Clewer, near Windsor. He was aged 30 when executed.

Wilde spent mid-1897 with Robert Ross in Berneval-le-Grand, where he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol. The poem narrates the execution of Wooldridge; it moves from an objective story-telling to symbolic identification with the prisoners as a whole. No attempt is made to assess the justice of the laws which convicted them, but rather the poem highlights the brutalisation of the punishment that all convicts share. Wilde juxtaposes the executed man and himself with the line “Yet each man kills the thing he loves”. Wilde too was separated from his wife and sons. He adopted the proletarian ballad form, and 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”.

AL PACINO

One of the greatest actors in all of film history, Al Pacino established himself during one of film’s greatest decades, the 1970s, and has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies.

The role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather was one of the most sought-after of the time earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Shortly after followed Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. He opened eyes around the film world for his brave choice of roles, and he was nominated three consecutive years for the ‘Best Actor’ Academy Award. He took on another vicious gangster role and cemented his legendary status in the ultra- violent cult hit Scarface. He was nominated for Glengarry Glen Ross. In 1992 he finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his amazing performance in Scent Of A Woman.

His commitment to acting as a profession and his constant screen dominance has established him as one of the movies’ true legends.
Al is a big fan of Oscar Wilde. His poetry has had a great impact on Al’s personal life. He has played King Herod in Salomé on stage for over 25 years on Broadway and starred & directed the docu-drama Wilde Salome, focusing on the journey of Salome and Oscar Wilde. Al is keen to use his fame to help others discover Wilde’s work.

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Diary Of A Mad Diva
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America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t
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Society’s Child: My Autobiography
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Earth (The Audiobook)
2011 – Jon Stewart and The Daily Show staff
Always Looking Up
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Our Endangered Values
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2007 – Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
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My Life 2005 – Bill Clinton

PRODUCED BY QUINCY JONES

Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. is an American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, television producer, film producer, instrumentalist, magazine founder, entertainment company executive, and humanitarian. His career spans six decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. Jones and fellow artist Alison Krauss have won the second most Grammys in history.

In 2013 Jones was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the winner, alongside Lou Adler, of the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Among his awards, Jones was named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century.

Grammy Awards (amongst others):

LIVE AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

A special live event with Al Pacino reciting on stage will be hosted
at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles

BARRY NAVIDI

Barry Navidi is a London and Los Angeles based producer with a string of high quality projects to his credit. His career boasts a distinguished roster of Hollywood and British films.

Barry worked with Hollywood’s most respected and celebrated stars including Marlon Brando, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. Graduating with a Master’s degree in the Technique and the Art of Filmmaking from the London Film School in 1985 with special distinction in writing, directing and producing, Barry Navidi’s first film was with legendary director John Huston for Mr Corbett’s Ghost (1986) in which Huston acted in and was directed by his son Danny Huston. Barry’s experience expands to developing and packaging projects with Hollywood majors Columbia Pictures (SONY), Universal, Fox and Warner Bros.

As Al Pacino’s producer partner, Barry’s several projects with Al including William Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice, Oscar Wilde’s Salome & Wilde Salome, starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Al Pacino. Barry and Al have a number of other projects that are in development and production stage.
www.BarryNavidiProductions.com

BENI ATOORI

Beni Atoori Graduated from the prestigious world renowned American Film Institute in the Producing discipline in1994 with Honors for his critically acclaimed 1993 film “Tis a Gift to Be Simple” .

Atoori Started “Stonelock Pictures 1994, In which he has fully self financed not only all of his own films that he produced but also financed multiple other films for other Hollywood Producers and Studios. Which include Paramount, Warner Bros. and a five picture deal with Fox over the next three years. Atoori has also enjoyed Great success while collaborating with; Frank Yablans Roland Joffé and Chris Columbus.

Atoori has won several critically acclaimed film awards all over the world, which include: The Best Producer Award “Toronto Film Festival” and Nominated for Academy Awards “Thirteen Conversations about One Thing” 2000, Best Producer Toronto Film Festival “The Jimmy Show” 2000, Won Best Writer “Beverly Hills Film Festival 2009, Won Director of the year, “Chasing Happiness” N.Y. Film Festival 2008, Best Writer “Good God bad dog” Los Angeles Film Festival 2007.

His other acclaimed film credits are; Wilde Salome, Chasing Happiness, Good God Bad Dog, Thirteen Conversation about one thing.