The Fair Intellectual Club
A funny, challenging, moving true tale of teenage love, friendship and betrayal set at the dawn of the Scottish Enlightenment.
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.”
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.
Lucy Porter based her play on the original manuscripts of the Club. It was first performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014 to a sellout run and great critical acclaim. This tour reunites director Marilyn Imrie with original cast; Caroline Deyga, Jessica Hardwick and Samara MacLaren.
Join The Fair Intellectual Club Stellar Quines has created a private Facebook group to celebrate the ethos of The Fair Intellectual Club by cultivating the minds of all the members of the group by sharing articles on literature, science, philosophy, gender equality and The Fair Intellectual Club itself. We welcome contributions from our members and nominations for their own Fair Intellectuals.
Gallery
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Reviews
"It’s a superbly written reflection on how far we’ve come in our attitudes to and treatment of women today… howlingly funny & deeply moving piece performed by three extremely talented young women
"It turns The Fair Intellectual Club into a heart-felt and nourishing play about aspiration, change and transformation – and it’ll send you out on an absolute high
"Porter’s script is a constant delight
"The Fair Intellectual Club: If the warm spirit of Dead Poets Society met Simone de Beauvoir
Blog
- March 14, 2018Caroline Deyga shares her inspiring week at the Bingo! rehearsals
- January 25, 2016The Fair Intellectual Club – Radio Four Recordings
- May 13, 2015A new generation of Fair Intellectuals…
- March 16, 2015What did you think of The Fair Intellectual Club?
- February 24, 2015Production images of The Fair Intellectual Club
- February 18, 2015Meet modern day Fair Intellectual Rachel McCrum
- February 17, 2015Meet Modern day Fair Intellectual Susan Garrard
- February 16, 2015The Fair Intellectual Club cast singing
- February 16, 2015Latest Press for The Fair Intellectual Club
- February 16, 2015Lucy Porter on The Fair Intellectuals
- February 13, 2015The Fair Intellectuals in Rehearsals
- February 11, 2015Meet our first modern day Fair Intellectual – Prof Robert Crawford
