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Characters (and unmentioned Persons):Narrator
– for your convenience
Parliament
– the legislative body of the British government.
Henry Labouchere
– Member of Parliament who introduced the LabouchereAmendment, which criminalized
attempts
to solicit homosexual sex; admirer of OscarWilde
Oscar Wilde
- accused of homosexual acts, associating with blackmailers and maleprostitutes, and gross indecency
Robbie Ross
– Oscar first lover and confidante.
Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas
- writer, Wilde’s most prominent lover and the son of the man he sued for libel
Marquess of Queensberry
– father of Alfred Douglas; accused Wilde of posing as a“sodomnite”
Edward Carson
– defense for Queensberry
Charles Gill
– Wilde’s prosecutor
Edward Clark 
- Wilde’s defense counselor
Ernest and Ada Leverson
- couple that hides Wilde after he is released on bail
Reverend Stewart Headlam
- put up most of Wilde’s bail, was distraught over thehideous was that Wilde’s was treated during trial
Alfred Wills
- Judge who presided of 1st trial, felt 2 yrs was not enough time forwhat Wilde’s was convicted of in 1st trial
Richard B. Haldane
- person who counseled Wilde’s and fought for his appeal afterhis first trial
A Quick Note on Sources:
While the vast majority of this dialogue is paraphrased, it is also derived direction from theresearch; all of it is documented or related by Wilde, his friends and his family. Most of thedetails came from
The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde
, which is the first uncensored publication of Wilde’s first trial, published by Wilde’s own grandson, Merlin Holland, who was born in 1945and is still alive. I mention this to illustrate how
recent 
these events were – Wilde’s closestfriends and lovers were still fighting over his death during World War I, and his own greatgrandson is only thirty years old.
Part 1 – The Amendment
 
Narrator:
It’s 1885, the height of the Victorian Era; women are pure, innocent little things who don’thave sexual thoughts, and men are violent, lustful beasts who can’t stop themselves fromhaving sex with everyone. If something isn’t done, civilization will collapse. Homosexualityisn’t just uncomfortable, or frowned on; it’s a crime against God and humanity, as bad asmurder, rape and people who talk in the theater. Here’s a good example of how stuffy thesepeople are…
Parliament:
We need to pass a law protecting young women from the horrors of prostitution.
Labouchere:
I want to add a clause to make it even more illegal to engage in homosexual activities thanit already is.
Parliament:
Okay, but we were talking about child prostitution…
Labouchere:
My amendment reads like this: "Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is aparty to the commission of, or procures, or attempts to procure the commission by any maleperson of, any act of gross indecency shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and beingconvicted shall be liable at the discretion of the Court to be imprisoned for any term notexceeding two years, with or without hard labour."
Parlaiment:
What does this have to do with sex crimes relating to young women and prostitution?
Labouchere:
Absolutely nothing, but it doesn’t need to if you all agree with me. Under Parliamentaryprocedure, making sense is optional, not required.
Parliament:
Well, when you put it like that…. All in favor?
 
(all):
Harumph!
Narrator (to audience):
 That means yes…
Labouchere:
Perfect! Now I’m off to see a fabulous new play by my favorite writer, Oscar Wilde…
Narrator:
No joke, Laboucherewas one of Wilde’s biggest fans. So no one’s confused, the Labouchereamendment, called the “Blackmailer’s Charter” later on, didn’t make homosexuality illegal –it extended laws that already existed, basically to include a wider variety of positions.Victorians were that scared of sex, and didn’t want to take any chances. Unfortunately, oneof the most popular writers of the time was a raging homosexual; here’s how his life wasruined…
Part 2 – The DramaBosie:
Oscar, my dad’s been a raging bastard ever since my brother killed himself over a gay loveaffair with the future Prime Minister; if you love me, you’ll fight him for me.
Robbie:
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