A Women of No Importance – Theatre at St Ninian’s Hall

A Women of No Importance by Oscar Wilde, is brought to the Edinburgh Fringe by Edinburgh Theatre Acts. The play is incredibly witty and morally relevant and can be enjoyed and understood by modern audiences despite being set in 1893.  The play tackles many social and moral problems that are just as much of a hot topic in today’s day and age as they were when the play first premiered in 1893. The play’s main point of discussion is the often-tender relationship between man and woman, and the large cast of thirteen managed to show this in various ways.

The play commences on The Terrace at Hunstanton Chase. One noteworthy factor before the actors even grace the stage, is the beautifully designed set. Finley Black’s great attention to detail in combination with the lighting and sound work done by Ian Cummingham, Simon Hirst and Colin McPhearson really paid off. From the wooden garden trellis with flowers on it to the matching benches all of those aspects instantly gave the play a heightened sense of realism. Act Two was lighted by a warm orange glow which also added a vintage feel. Of course, once the actors made their entrance the costumes were equally exquisite. The grand silky dresses and three-piece suits were impressive to say the least.

All actors apart from one (who played the American Miss Hester Worsley) spoke in an old English accent. However, possibly due to the wordiness of the play several actors stumbled over lines but recovered quickly enough that it was not so noticeable. Nonetheless, it was clear that great effort was put into perfecting accents because not only were most lines spoken with conviction, but it also seemed that each actor through the use of intonation, pitch and emphasis created a unique dialect for their character. This in turn created great contrast on stage and showed the many social layers.

An excellent example of a very realistic accent was Lady Caroline Pontefract’s performed by Mags McPherson. McPherson’s lines flowed effortlessly and were a pleasure to listen to. The accent however was merely an addition to an already captivating performance. McPherson really brought the character to life through subtle and naturalistic acting as well as showing great skill by shifting the character from proud and confident in Act One to insecure in Act Two.

Danny Farrimond who played Lord Illingworth also delivered a fantastic performance. Farrimond managed to create a character that was both admirable and eery to watch. Farrimond also had great chemistry with other actors on stage such as Mrs Allonby (Kerry Trewern/ Kristy Doull) and Lady Stutfield (Lisa Moffat).

On the other hand, Moffat’s humerus portrayal of Lady Stutfield provided comedic relief during the more static and long scenes. Lady Stutfield also contrasted greatly with Mrs Allonby which further showed the different wants of women in Old English society. Lady Stutfield represented what a man would stereotypically want in a women and Mrs Allonby despite conforming to the norms displayed a rebellious nature.

As well as new set in Act Two different characters took the lime light. We saw more of Miss Hester Worsley who was played by Caitlin Christmas and met Mrs Rachel Arburthnot (portrayed by Janey Grant) who is Gerald Arburthnot’s mother. Most of Act Two focused on the relationship between Gerald (played by Cat Scott) and Mrs Rachel. There was a long scene played by Scott and Grant which felt a bit underwhelming due to it feeling a bit too rehearsed and not organic enough, however the play on a whole was a pleasure to watch.

A Woman of No Importance runs until 16^th August at St Ninian’s Hall with tickets available at https://www.alledinburghtheatre.com/tag/st-ninians-hall/

Reviewer: Marcelina Kruczynska

Reviewed: 4th August 2025

North West End UK Rating: