Neil Tennant

I've had a theory in pop music that when someone or a group or artist becomes successful, when they carry on being successful, they go from success into what I call their imperial phase where they can do no wrong.

where it seems like it will go on like this forever.

And, you know, as with Napoleon's career, it never does go on forever.

Something goes disastrously wrong and the imperial phase is followed by either survival or it's followed by disaster, that the whole thing fades away.

For me, the most fascinating moment of Oscar Wilde's life is the afternoon

when the libel trial has collapsed and a warrant is going to be issued for his arrest.

And he decides to stay in the country.

And it's a fact that at the time, the warrant for his arrest was delayed to give Oscar Wilde the chance to catch the boat, the last boat train.

And he has lunch.

I think he must have weighed up what was going to happen to him.

He must have known that he was going to, that he would be found guilty.

because of course he knew that he was guilty, and decided that it was going to give him a platform which would, as I say, make him into a legend.

I think the fact that Oscar Wilde still matters proves that that afternoon in the Cadogan Hotel, Oscar Wilde made the right decision.

The writing is really only a part of the Oscar Wilde story, and it's the tragic downfall from someone who had this imperial sense that everything he would do would turn right, would fascinate people.