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What's on in London: Oscar at the Crown

We go behind-the-scenes with Matty J.

Gaydar

28 Nov 2025 — 4 min read

Photo: Danny Kaan

Oscar at The Crown is an immersive musical - set in a dystopian future.

Taking place in a bunker, this is a post apocalyptic world where the only things that have survived are reality TV, glitter balls, and the complete works of Oscar Wilde.

A recent addition to the cast is Matty J - we caught up with him for a behind-the-scenes look at the show.

Matty J is represented by BBA Management.

You're stepping into the role of Sonja - have you performed in this style of immersive show before? Is this a style of theatre that you enjoy?

Stepping into the role of Sonja was something completely new to me.

With the setup of how the show is done, immersive theatre is something I haven’t experienced nor have been a participant of before.

It was very exciting coming into it because it is a musical style and genre I enjoy in my personal life. I love a high camp, queer and femme pop beat and I do enjoy the art of drag - both as a participant and a consumer. Combine that with the setting of being in a club with flashing lights and party vibes, it was definitely a unique experience for both a the performer and the audience.

The show is a retelling of the story of Oscar Wilde. Was Oscar Wilde someone that you had any kind of connection with or have you had to do a bit of research on who he was?

Oscar Wilde was a very prominent name in queer media and culture. My first encounter of it was having done Kinky Boots in 2024, where the character Lola quoted Oscar Wilde after ‘Land of Lola’. The quote “be yourself, everybody else is already taken” alone made me curious as to who Oscar Wilde was.

His identity to me was always encapsulated in that saying, and upon finding out I was joining the bunker - in the style of what the show is - I was very excited. It was a personification of what an Oscar Wilde show, to me, would be like. From his flamboyance down to his literary works, even the show itself is an info-graph of Mr. Wilde.

This is a show that also celebrates the power of reality TV. Are you a fan of reality TV?

Yes! Very huge fan of reality TV, actually. Funnily enough, the Philippines, in the early 2000s-2010s was riddled with American and British TV. Especially during the rise of YouTube, it became so accessible that the habit of going home after school and putting on America’s Next Top Model cycle 9 just tripled.

I grew up watching lots, from Top Model, to singing TV shows like Idol, Got Talent, X Factor, even Super Nanny, The Island, Flava Flav - this is why I’m filled with lots of TV brain-rot, quotes and pop culture references.

At the moment, the RuPaul’s Drag Race craze - as much as it has lessened - is still ongoing. Watching the show has been my personality for the past 10 years.

You're appearing in Oscar at the Crown for 10 performances - what's on your agenda after you finish this run?

After the short and sweet Oscar run, I am hoping to take the time to settle into the new life of living in London - at least for a couple weeks - before I start my next show in early December.

Relocating from Glasgow to London didn’t seem all too daunting to me at first - especially after having moved from the Philippines to Glasgow three years ago - but I realised that moving to a big city, especially London, was going to be a bigger adjustment than I expected.

Nonetheless, I’m very excited to jump onto the next show to work on, find out which auditions come my way, keep creating online content, and writing more personal music.

What do you hope that people feel when they come and see you perform in Oscar at the Crown?

I am hoping people would feel almost a sense of pride. For the ones that have supported me from way before, even to the ones who are seeing the show or me perform for the first time.

I hope the show leaves the message of community, standing alongside individuals that all have stories to tell. I hope people leave the show feeling excited, pumped for a good rest of the night, energized and wanting to dance.

The show is good fun with an important message, and hopefully experiencing the show is an evidence to that.

Matty J is represented by BBA Management.