Lady Windermere

Oscar Wilde’s ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’, first produced in 1892, is better known for its title than its storyline which, like most of Wilde’s plays, is full of witty nonsense. It lends itself well to a short play based on the famous characters of Lord and Lady Windermere.

The underlying universal themes of passion, betrayal and struggles to keep up appearances in an apparently shallow society underpin the cynical gossip indulged in by Wilde’s characters.

Lord and Lady Windermere's secrets are revealed years after the original near-disaster of Lady Windermere's fan. Our presentation, updated to 1960, sees Lord and Lady Windermere about to set out for a special dinner party. Secrets which have lain long-hidden gradually reveal themselves, testing the strength and depth of their apparently happy marriage.

It does not matter whether audience members know the original play or not, although those who do will recognise passages of pure Wilde and enjoy afresh the foibles of Lord Darlington, Lord Augustus, Cecil Graham, Mr Dumby and the redoubtable Duchess of Berwick. For those who come fresh to Oscar Wilde, this is a chance to explore the delights of his wit and appreciate his understanding of human weakness and strength.

What audience members have said:

“I got fully engaged.”
“Thoroughly enjoyable.”
“We were enthralled right to the end.”
“A very special evening.”
“The characters were well defined.”
“Excellent interplay of different emotions.”
“Held our attention from beginning to end.”

Past Presentations and Future Bookings