A Man of No Importance

Synopsis

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself What happens when our deepest secrets are finally revealed? Dublin bus conductor Alfie Byrne is content reading Oscar Wilde poetry to his passengers and staging plays in his local church. But when forced to confront a lifelong secret, Alfie must learn to face his true nature and finally take a stand in the world. With a powerful story, loveable characters and a stunning score, A Man of No Importance celebrates the genius of Oscar Wilde, the boisterous streets of Dublin, and the bumps along the road to self-discovery.

Our Review:

13 November 2009

If you shy away from the word ‘charming’ when applied to musicals, don’t see this one. Likewise ‘bittersweet’. A Man of No Importance (book by Terrence McNally) is based on the movie of the same name, and was first produced in New York, winning an award for Best Off-Broadway Musical in 2003.

Act One winds its way to the none-too-startling revelation that our hero, Alfie Byrne, a Dublin bus conductor in love with poetry, drama and, in particular, the works of Oscar Wilde, is himself in thrall to the love that dare not speak its name. Act Two charts the belated rite of passage by which he faces up to his true nature, finds degradation and, ultimately, acceptance. A none-too-startling plot either, and, given the fact that the show is set in an Ireland where bus conductors are still respected members of the community, and still clip passengers’ tickets, it has bucketfuls of the aforementioned bittersweet charm and a liber...

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Latest User Review

scarlett de wynter - 15 November 2010:

fab one of the most amazing plays i enjoyed it alot. brill cast !!!...

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