Nancy’s Philosopher
★★★★☆ Admirable restraint
The Royal Scots Club (Venue 241): Tues 5 – Sat 16 Aug 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
Nancy’s Philosopher, at the Royal Scots Club through the first two weeks of the Fringe, is the first offering from Arkle Theatre Company in their final Festival – and it is delicate, tasteful and accomplished.
David Black’s play, first seen on the Fringe in 2016, is a one-hander featuring Nancy Ord, the Northumbrian-born daughter of a notable lawyer, and member of Edinburgh New Town society as the New Town was springing up.
Nicola Burnett Smith in Nancy’s Philosopher. Pic: Rob Shields.
Nancy scandalously fell in love with the much older David Hume, the sceptical philosopher whose attitude to religion was the cause of much contemporary suspicion. (It is Nancy who was responsible for the naming of St David Street, originally as a joke regarding the location of Hume’s house).
It is a tremendously well written play. It evokes the times, the attitudes and the notable figures; Boswell, Rousseau and Adam Smith pop up. However, this is not one of those narratives where the research is too obvious rather than being integrated into the play. On the contrary, it has a beautiful flow to it.
restraint
The passions expressed, meanwhile, are all the more touching by being expressed with the restraint one associates with depictions of the period (pre-Bridgerton, anyway).
This is one of the many things that this production gets right. Jenny Tamplin’s direction is notably assured, and there is an immediacy to Nicola Burnett Smith’s performance that is striking.
Nicola Burnett Smith in Nancy’s Philosopher. Pic: Rob Shields.
As Nancy outlines her story, apparently to Dr Angus MacDonald who has proposed to her, it seems remarkably natural, and acted with delicacy and grace.
The acting space and stage furniture are used with economy and variety, and the pace is varied and considered.
There are a couple of things that work against it. The first is inherent in the play. It does suffer at times from the problem of so many period dramas, in that its desire to echo the time in which it was set goes just a little too far, and its restraint ends up as artificial and distancing, despite the quality of the performance.
negative connotations
The second is nothing to do with the play, but in the few years since it was first written, the name of Hume has acquired definite negative connotations in Edinburgh, due largely to what he wrote in a footnote to one of his works. This is inescapably going to be in many people’s minds as Nancy expounds on what a saintly man he was.
Burnett Smith’s performance, however, allied to Tamplin’s skilful direction, means that this production is a compelling one.
Running time: One hour (no interval).
The Royal Scots Club (Hepburn Suite), 29-31 Abercromby Place, EH3 6QE. (Venue 241).
Tuesday 5 – Saturday 16 August 2025.
Daily (Not Sun): 3.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Book here with Arkle direct.
Arkle website: www.arkle-theatre.com
Facebook: @ArkleTheatreCompany
Nicola Burnett Smith in Nancy’s Philosopher. Pic: Rob Shields.
ENDS
