This new play by comedian Lucy Porter is based on the true story of three Edinburgh girls who formed ‘The Fair Intellectual Club’ in 1717. They recruited other young ladies aged between 15 and 19 with a view to discovering “what we might attain unto if we were as industrious to cultivate our minds as we are to adorn our bodies.” Read more …
Members studied literature, science and philosophy and the only grounds for leaving the club were marriage or death. The Fair Intellectuals took an oath to preserve the absolute secrecy of their organisation but were betrayed by an enemy within, who exposed her sisters to scandal, censure and ruin.
The show is fun and well thought-out, with plenty to chew over (attitudes towards the new Union and the impact of science on religious fervour, for instance).
Marilyn Imrie's production serves up Porter's charming treatise on self-determination with a froth that isn't afraid to show off its author's stand-up roots in a more formal setting.
In spite of the high standard of acting from the cast and the quality of Marilyn Imrie’s direction, this comedic take on a piece of real feminine radicalism lacks real sorority and comes across as being as flimsy as the young women’s muslin frocks.
Lucy Porter's debut inspired by 18th century Edinburgh
Fair Intellectuals
On Tour, from Thursday February 19, 2015, until Wednesday March 4, 2015.
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