Fringe review: WILDE WOMEN, Greenside @ George Street
For anyone who knows the tragic demise of Oscar Wilde, one of the cleverest and witty authors of the last 150 years, Wilde Women plays tribute to his wonderful creations, headed by the formidable Lady Bracknell. For those who have yet to see his plays, this charming one-woman show introduces you to his work and most famous characters.
It is given extra poignancy by being told by Lillie Langtry, one of the leading Victorian actresses who suggests he used her as a muse and when her career dips plans, to resurrect her status and rehabilitate Wilde's reputation by staging a new compilation of his works. We meet her in her dressing room at the Lyceum Edinburgh in December 1900. Wilde has been released from Reading Gaol and retreated to Paris to escape the notoriety of his indecency charges and she is waiting for a telegram confirming his collaboration on the project .
We are in her dressing room between performances as guests invited to act as a sounding board for her ideas and selection of appropriate passages. It is a very good performance from Krista Scott, the author of the piece, capturing the period of late Victorian England and conveying the quality of his writing and characters.
We enjoyed the theatrical history lesson and yearn to once again see a full play by Oscar Wilde. In the meantime, it’s not true he "left nothing but bills" when he died, he left a unique body of work that continues to stand the test of time.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne
Wilde Women plays at Edinburgh Festival Fringe until 16 August, with further info here.