A Woman of No Importance premiered at London’s Haymarket Theatre in 1893.
Gerald Arbuthnot, a young man of modest means, is invited to join an aristocratic house party at Lady Hunstanton’s lavish country estate. Dazzled by the witty and glamorous guests, he is thrilled to be offered the post of personal secretary to the rich and powerful Lord Illingworth. But why is Gerald’s mother so opposed to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? The dynamics of the house party foreshadow an explosion of hidden secrets and societal double standards in a world “made for men and not for women”.
Colette Dockery, director of A Woman of No Importance, told QX, “Oscar Wilde left a profound and lasting impact on society by subverting rigid Victorian morality with wit and style. He served as a tragic catalyst and martyr for LGBTQ+ history after his imprisonment for ‘gross indecency’ in 1895. More than 130 years after A Woman of No Importance premiered, it’s a joy to bring Wilde’s work to new audiences in Hackney – one of London’s most vibrant and diverse boroughs.”
Tickets £10-16
A Woman of No Importance runs from 2 – 12 September at Tower Theatre, 16 Northwold Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 7HR, United Kingdom.
