JULY 15 - 20: A STUNNING new production of Oscar Wilde's A Woman Of No Importance is coming to the Theatre Royal, Bath, on Monday 15th July.

The all-star cast includes Kate O'Mara as Mrs Arbuthnot and Oliver Tobias as Lord Illingworth, pictured above, plus Peak Practice's Deborah Grant and Josephine Tewson of Keeping up Appearances.

The play shows off Wilde's brilliant wit at the height of his powers.

Glamorous people, glittering comedy and gorgeous costumes, the creme of Victorian high society, gather to enjoy a weekend's entertainment at the country home of Lady Hunstanton.

But behind the witty conversation and precise manners, intrigue and dark secrets hide. At the centre of the play is a woman with a past tainted with scandal.

For more than 20 years, she has lived a lie to protect her beloved son.

Now all she holds dear is being taken away from her, by the man who she holds responsible for ruining her life.

Gradually, the true nature of Oscar Wilde's characters is exposed.

Their guilt and betrayal is laid bare, and the guests say more than they mean, and mean more than they say.

A Woman Of No Importance opened at the Haymarket Theatre in April 1893, and remains Wilde's funniest and darkest social satire.

But behind the sharp wit and cunningly observed humour is a deep understanding of the tragic effects of deception and hypocrisy.

The world has changed since A Woman Of No Importance was first performed, but Elijah Moshinsky's extraordinary new production proves that the issues at the core of the play still ring true today.

The play is at the Theatre Royal from Monday to July 20. Box office: (01225) 448844.