Theatre review: Lady Windermere's Fan

Published on Wednesday 10 June 2009 19:07

LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN *** ORAN MOR, GLASGOW

OSCAR Wilde appreciated that brevity was the soul of wit, but he wasn't fond of hurrying. So the decision to trim Lady Windermere's Fan to 45 minutes for Oran Mor's Corona Classic Cuts season, which has thus far showcased Medea and has Cyrano de Bergerac and Romeo and Juliet still to come, is certainly a bold one. The play gains nothing from Michael James Ford's admittedly skilful pruning, save the capacity to be enjoyed during a lunch hour, with many wonderful lines excised at the expense of the bite they afford the marital satire, still others shorn of the contextual trappings that provoke deeper laughter.

Nevertheless, moral dilemmas at the play's heart remain vital, while the mannered social conventions of Victorian England can never obscure how strikingly contemporary this story of intrigue and infidelity still feels. Alison O'Donnell is initially tentative in the title role and though James Mackenzie is solid throughout as Lord Windermere, the couple only truly settle into their exchanges with the appearance of Lorna McDevitt as Mrs Erlynne. So compelling is she scrabbling together the remnants of her pride and morality, all the while economically conveying her tragic backstory, that it swells the narrative far beyond the abridged text. There's a sense of genuine ruin for all concerned, which is some achievement. The supporting cast is restricted to a pair of dancers, representing the Windermere's guests and all of polite society, yet Kenny Miller and Patrick McGurn's set and costumes are attractively lavish. Those familiar with Wilde's play will appreciate Ford and director Tommy Gormley's informed compromises; others should still find much to enjoy.