Wilde Women is a one-woman show about Lillie Langtry’s association with Oscar Wilde. The premise of the show is that Langtry’s popularity is waning and Wilde is recently out of prison. Langtry has an idea to help them both, a new production that he will write and she will star in, featuring the women in his novels, poems and plays. She introduces us to these women, reading from the sources and deciding that many may not be quite suitable for her purposes.
The theatre space is small and the set is of Langtry’s backstage changing room. She tells us she is between performances, so doesn’t have long: clever. The performance is a 50-minute monologue and not quite pitch-perfect, and the accent wavers from time to time, but the delivery is warm-hearted and engaging nonetheless.
We hear some of Lillie’s own backstory as well as witticisms of Wilde’s. Langtry bemoans that so many of Wilde’s erstwhile friends and admirers deserted him during his trial and imprisonment, herself included. She is remorseful now, though it’s not clear whether the remorse is deep and sincere, or whether it is more that she fears he will not collaborate with her on this new project. Throughout the show she anticipates a telegram reply from Wilde regarding her idea. He has not responded to earlier messages she has sent, but she feels sure he will this time.
Before seeing Wilde Women, I’d heard of Lillie Langtry and her royal connections, and scandal, but otherwise didn’t know much about her. I knew more about Wilde, but must admit I hadn’t heard of some of his earlier works, referred to in the show. In a lot of ways though, the show is more about loyalty, or the lack of it, and moral dilemmas: saving your own skin when a good friend is in trouble. Langtry, in this production, is fully aware that she has let her friend down. There is subtle irony in that her affair with the future King afforded her fame, even though she was summarily dropped upon his accession, whilst Wilde was imprisoned under laws targeting his sexuality.
Wilde Women played to a full, albeit small, house. It’s unlikely to garner great accolades, but you might well find it to your quiet, gentle liking, as I did.
