Classic Spring is delighted to announce that Stephen Fry, Frank McGuinness, Franny Moyle and Merlin Holland will give pre-show talks before evening performances of A Woman of No Importance at the Vaudeville Theatre this autumn. Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson will give the first address, offering his unique insight, entitled 'The Remarkable Reputation of Oscar Wilde'. Stephen Fry will reflect on 'Playing Oscar', having portrayed Wilde on the big screen in 'Wilde' (1997). Also included in the series are Franny Moyle (author of 'Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs. Oscar Wilde') exploring Wilde's women, and Frank McGuinness, who has adapted 'De Profundis' for the season will consider Wilde alongside Ibsen and Strindberg in 'Wilde the European'.
For A Woman of No Importance,
Emma Fielding,
Dominic Rowan, Crystal Clarke,
Harry Lister-Smith,
Sam Cox, William Mannering, Paul Rider and
Phoebe Fildes join the cast, alongside the previously announced
Eve Best,
Anne Reid,
Eleanor Bron and
William Gaunt.
Emma Fielding's screen credits include This is England '90, Capital and Arthur & George. Her recent stage credits include Rapture, Blister, Burn (Hampstead Theatre), In the Republic of Happiness (Royal Court) and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again (
Royal Shakespeare Company). She has been nominated for two Olivier Awards.
A regular on The Globe stage,
Dominic Rowan, most recently starred as the Duke in Measure for Measure (2015). Other credits include starring opposite
Hattie Morahan in
Carrie Cracknell's acclaimed production of Ibsen's A Doll's House (Young Vic/West End/BAM New York) and Jacob Thorne on ITV's Law & Order.
American actor Crystal Clarke trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and then won a role in the feature film Star Wars: The Force Awakens from an open audition call of over 67,000 people. She will also appear in the forthcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi later this year.
Classic Spring is the
New Theatre Company from
Dominic Dromgoole, former Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe. Its first season is a year-long celebration of
Oscar Wilde that aims to offer a fuller picture of the man and the artist, and reveal this much-loved playwright as the brilliant renegade he was in his own time.
Dominic Dromgoole will direct the first play A Woman of No Importance, starring Olivier Award-winning actor
Eve Best as Mrs Arbuthnot, alongside
Anne Reid,
Eleanor Bron and
William Gaunt. Multi-award-winning actor, director, comedian and playwright
Kathy Burke will then direct Lady Windermere's Fan.
The season will continue with the titles An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, with casting and creatives to be announced in due course.
