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#1 New Release in Playwriting
A New Play & Companion Novel by Michael Patrick Henry

THE FINAL DAYS OF OSCAR WILDE

A journey through genius, wit, tragedy and faith.

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The Play

Paris, 1900. The Final Days.

Stripped of his name, his fortune, and the London that once adored him, Oscar Wilde spends his last days in a shabby Parisian hotel, wit intact, faith uncertain, and the ghosts of Reading Gaol never far behind.

"I can resist everything except temptation."

Through the eyes of two young admirers, Aiden and Andrew, who meet in the iconic Library at Trinity College, we are amused, challenged and inspired by the journey through Oscar Wilde’s last hours on this earth.

On the threshold of death, a priest arrives. What follows is not a footnote to a scandalous life, but its most human scene: a soul deciding, at last, who he wishes to be.

The Life

A Mystery in Nine Acts

1874
Oxford
Wilde arrives at Magdalen College, forging the aesthetic philosophy that will define — and later doom — him.
1890
The Picture of Dorian Gray
A novel of beauty and corruption scandalizes Victorian London and is later used as evidence against its author.
1895
The Importance of Being Earnest
His masterpiece opens in the West End to triumphant applause, at the very peak of his fame.
1895
The Trials
Public accusation becomes public spectacle. Wilde is tried for gross indecency as society turns against him.
1895
Prison
Sentenced to two years hard labor at Reading Gaol, where the wit of London's brightest man is silenced by stone.
1897
De Profundis
From his cell, Wilde writes a devastating letter of confession, faith, and forgiveness to Lord Alfred Douglas.
1897
Paris
Released and exiled, he lives under an assumed name, impoverished but unbroken, wit intact to the last.
1900
Death
On his deathbed above a Parisian café, Wilde is received into the Catholic Church before he dies.
∞
Legacy
A century later, his epigrams outlive his enemies, and his grave in Père Lachaise is covered in lipstick kisses.
The Company

Those Who Remained — and Those Who Left

O Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

The Genius in Exile

"I have nothing to declare except my genius."

B Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker

Old Friend, Fellow Dubliner

Even ruined, Oscar filled a room like no one I ever knew.

B Bram Stoker

Lord Alfred Douglas

"Bosie" — Beloved and Undoing

"He loved beautiful things more than he loved being safe."

R Bram Stoker

Robert Ross

The Loyal Friend

"I never left him. Not once, not even at the end."

B Bram Stoker

Father Cuthbert Dunne

The Priest

"He asked for the Church at the very last hour, and I did not refuse him."

Reviews

What early readers are saying.

★★★★★
Reader A · Theatre Professional
"This is an ambitious piece with real intellectual weight."

A thoughtful and deeply researched piece with strong potential for LGBTQ+ and Catholic theatre festivals. The Wilde scholarship, two-hander structure, and play-within-a-play device are especially compelling, with some opportunities to sharpen the pacing and mystery.

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★★★★★
Reader B · Queer Theatre Enthusiast / Frequent Fringe Festival Attendee
"I devoured this in one sitting and honestly got a little emotional by the end."

Aiden is a fantastic character, and the contrast between his campy humor and emotional vulnerability is one of the script's strongest elements. The story's focus on faith, family, identity, and reclamation feels rare and welcome, with a powerful and theatrical ending.

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★★★★★
Reader C · Practicing Catholic Reader, Faith & Sexuality Narratives
"A rare script that treats both queerness and Catholic faith as worthy of real thought."

I expected to feel preached at or alienated, but instead found the story unexpectedly generous to both sides. The thoughtful treatment of Catholic faith and sexuality gives the theological conversations real weight, while the characters and their challenges avoid easy answers.

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★★★★★
Reader D · General Audience / Casual Reader
"I got pulled in fast and would absolutely go see this performed."

A fun and engaging story that blends romance, mystery, and history. Aiden's voice is especially entertaining, while the emotional family moments add unexpected depth. The story has strong potential on stage, though some of the denser quote-heavy sections could be trimmed.

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The Hall of Wit

Every Epigram a Small Rebellion

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Oscar Wilde
The Author

Michael Patrick Henry

Michael Patrick Henry writes at the intersection of history and heartbreak, drawn to figures whose brilliance and ruin arrived in the same lifetime. The Final Days of Oscar Wilde began as a question he couldn't shake: How does a gay man condemned violently by society and the church continue to seek faith?

The result is a play, and now a companion book, built from years spent inside Wilde's letters, trial transcripts, and the quiet corner of Paris where he died.

The Final Days of Oscar Wilde — book cover
Own the Story

Bring Him Home With You

Available in hardcover, paperback, and signed limited editions. The companion volume to the stage production, illustrated and annotated.

Available On Amazon