EDFRINGE REVIEW: Wilde (Tír na nÓg)

Wilde - ★★★★☆ – Mature

Tír na nÓg Theatre
1-9 Aug
Review by Rebecca Mahar
 
Formed of students from Embley Senior School, Tír na nÓg Theatre make their Fringe debut with the enchanting new musical Wilde.
 
Focused not on Oscar, but his lesser-known wife, Wilde relates the story of Constance, née Lloyd. A writer in her own right, Constance faced the fate of many of the wives and female relations of famous creative men: overshadowed by their husbands’ accomplishments, which more often than not were made possible due to the administrative work, creative input, and household labour of these women. And in Constance’s case, the scandals caused by her husband’s infidelity with various men.

A scene from Wilde. Pic: Tír na nÓg Theatre Company.

 
Wilde opens with a young girl (Saoirse Morgan) seated at the foot of her grandmother (Cassie McCoubrey), asking to hear “a story that’s true.” To which the grandmother replies, “things are not always as they seem, and neither are people. You will learn that one day, my darling.”
 
From this framing the show sweeps off into the story of Constance (Annabelle Baker) and Oscar’s (Miles Dayekh) courtship, their time as the toast of society, the birth of their sons Cyril (Sophie O’Dell) and Vyvyan (Tegan Douglas), and into the degrading of what seemed to be a happy marriage as Oscar grows more distant, obsessed with his work and his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas (Oliver Gill).

A scene from Wilde. Pic: Tír na nÓg Theatre Company

History has largely focused on the injustice of Wilde’s trial for gross indecency, which is a travesty in its own right, and his place in history as a queer icon. However, more than one thing can be true at a time, and Constance’s struggle to maintain her home, stability for her sons, and her own respectability is as worthy of attention. Wilde makes no judgements on Oscar’s homosexual relationships other than how, like any infidelity, they affect the partner who has been betrayed.
 
Wilde is a remarkably mature offering from this youthful company, being written and composed by the students as well as performed. The ensemble mentioned above are rounded out by Indigo Barnett as Georgina Mount Temple and Elisabeth Neill as The Gossips, and each member of the company gives a strong and assured performance. The music is appropriate for developing voices, both serving its function of scoring the drama in wistful fashion, and not making untoward vocal demands of its performers. 

A scene from Wilde. Pic: Tír na nÓg Theatre Company

Although strong throughout, the highlight of the piece is Scattered Letters, in which Constance discovers the depths of Oscar’s betrayal and must face the prospect of her altered future. Musically, lyrically, choreographically, and in its design the peak of all the work and talent that has gone into the show, this number could easily have been pulled from any West End musical. Supported by the strength and coordination of the ensemble who give Scattered Letters its rich devastation, Annabelle Baker delivers a chill-worthy vocal performance.
 
Wilde is a testament to what young people can do in the arts when their interests and goals are encourage, supported, and funded. It’s not perfect, but no show is— and nor should perfection be expected from youth, or anyone just starting out. This is the kind of production that reflects the potential of its company, its dedication to the stories it chooses to tell, and the living, breathing nature of new work.
 
Running time: Fifty-five minutes with no interval
Venue: theSpace @ Niddry Street (Lower), Niddry Street EH1 1TH
1-9 August 2025
Time: 11:05am
Tickets: Run ended.