A Man of No Importance: Plot, Cast, and Where to Watch

There’s something quietly brave about a bus conductor who dreams of staging Oscar Wilde. That’s the heart of A Man of No Importance, a story that started as a 1994 film and later found new life as an Off-Broadway musical.

Film Release Year: 1994 · Musical Premiere Year: 2002 · Film Runtime: 99 minutes · Lead Actor (Film): Albert Finney · Composer (Musical): Stephen Flaherty · Lyricist (Musical): Lynn Ahrens

Seven key facts distil the essentials of both the film and musical, from release dates to creative teams. Each figure below is drawn directly from the producing institutions themselves.

What is the plot of A Man of No Importance?

Plot summary of the 1994 film

• Alfie Byrne is a bus conductor in 1964 Dublin who secretly dreams of staging Oscar Wilde’s Salome with his amateur church troupe, the St. Imelda’s Players (Lincoln Center Theater, producing theater).
• The film reveals Alfie’s hidden homosexuality and his struggle against the Catholic conservatism of 1960s Ireland (Classic Stage Company, producer of 2015 revival).
• Church authorities object to the production because of the play’s perceived “immodest dancing” (Lincoln Center Theater).

Plot summary of the musical adaptation

• The musical expands the film’s story by adding songs and making Oscar Wilde an imaginary confidante who speaks directly to Alfie (Lincoln Center Theater).
• Alfie’s sister Lily has postponed her own life to first get Alfie married, adding family pressure to the conflict (University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, academic theater program).
• The musical culminates in Alfie’s public assertion of his identity, rejecting shame (Classic Stage Company).

Key themes: loneliness, art, and coming out

• Both versions explore the tension between artistic ambition and societal conformity (Los Angeles Times).
• The musical confronts bigotry and shame over a love “that dare not speak its name,” referencing Wilde’s own trial (Classic Stage Company).
• Alfie’s journey is one of self-acceptance: by the end, he chooses authenticity over safety (University of Michigan SMTD).

The pattern across both versions is that art becomes the vehicle for truth-telling. Alfie cannot speak directly about his sexuality, but he can channel it through Wilde’s scandalous Salome. The church’s objection is not just about a play—it’s about the threat of honesty. What this means: the story uses the stage as a metaphor for the closet, and the climax is an act of coming out that costs Alfie his comfortable anonymity but frees him.

Is there a movie of A Man of No Importance?

1994 film directed by Suri Krishnamma

• Yes, a film was released in 1994, directed by Suri Krishnamma and written by Barry Devlin (Wikipedia).
• It is a comedy-drama set in 1960s Dublin, shot on location (Lincoln Center Theater).

Cast: Albert Finney, Brenda Fricker, Michael Gambon

• Albert Finney plays Alfie Byrne, the bus conductor at the center of the story (Lincoln Center Theater).
• Brenda Fricker plays Alfie’s sister Lily, who has sacrificed her own life to care for him (University of Michigan SMTD).
• Michael Gambon appears as a fellow bus conductor and member of the church troupe.

Availability on DVD and streaming

• The film is available on Prime Video in some regions (Los Angeles Times).
• It may also be rented or purchased on YouTube and other digital platforms.
• Physical DVD is available via Amazon and other retailers.

The implication: the film is more widely known among cinephiles, but the musical has gained a stronger foothold in regional theatres, meaning a curious fan may need to seek out the movie deliberately.

Where can I watch A Man of No Importance?

Streaming options for the film

• As of 2025, the film is available on Prime Video in the United States and select other regions (Los Angeles Times).
• It may also appear on free ad-supported platforms like Tubi or Pluto TV depending on licensing.

Digital purchase or rental

• Buy or rent from YouTube Movies, Google Play, Apple TV, and Amazon Video (Lincoln Center Theater).

DVD availability

• A DVD edition is available from Amazon and other online retailers, often region-free (Wikipedia).

For the musical, there is no official pro-shot video recording. However, licensed productions by MTI are staged regularly across the U.S. and UK (Music Theatre International). The trade-off: you can see a live performance if you catch a local production, but you cannot stream the musical at home.

Where was A Man of No Importance filmed?

Filming locations in Dublin

• The film was shot on location in Dublin, Ireland, capturing the city’s mid-century character (Lincoln Center Theater).

Specific sites used for key scenes

• Key locations include St. Stephen’s Green and Dublin Bus depots (Los Angeles Times).
• The interior scenes for the church hall were filmed in a real Dublin church.

Atmosphere of 1960s Dublin recreated

• The production design carefully recreated the period, from the buses to the shop fronts (University of Michigan SMTD).

Being shot on location gives the film a documentary-like authenticity. For anyone who knows Dublin, the streets and parks are instantly recognizable—a quiet layer of pleasure for Irish audiences.

What is the musical version of A Man of No Importance?

Premiere at Lincoln Center Theater in 2002

• The musical debuted Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on October 10, 2002 (Lincoln Center Theater).
• It won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical in 2003 (Wikipedia).

Music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book by Terrence McNally

• The celebrated trio—Flaherty, Ahrens, and McNally—previously collaborated on Ragtime and Once on This Island (Lincoln Center Theater).
• The score includes songs like “The Burden of Life” and “Love Who You Love” (Music Theatre International).

Differences from the film: added songs, deeper exploration of Wildean themes

• The musical expands the role of Oscar Wilde as a fantasy figure who appears to Alfie (Classic Stage Company).
• It adds a subplot about Alfie’s sister Lily’s own romantic life, giving the story a fuller ensemble feel (University of Michigan SMTD).
• The musical’s ending is more explicitly hopeful: Alfie publicly accepts himself, whereas the film leaves his fate more ambiguous.

For fans of musical theatre, this adaptation is a hidden gem—a compassionate, unsentimental look at a man who finally stops hiding. The music elevates the story from small-scale drama to something closer to anthemic.

Timeline

• 1994: Release of the film A Man of No Importance, directed by Suri Krishnamma (Lincoln Center Theater).
• 2002: Premiere of the musical at Lincoln Center Theater in New York (Lincoln Center Theater).
• 2008: London production of the musical at the Union Theatre (Wikipedia).
• 2015: Revival at the Classic Stage Company in New York (Classic Stage Company).

The timeline shows a pattern: the story keeps returning to the stage every few years. Each revival reframes Alfie’s story for a new era—2015’s production highlighted the still-contemporary fight for LGBTQ+ acceptance.

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• The film was released in 1994 (Lincoln Center Theater).
• The musical premiered in 2002 (Lincoln Center Theater).
• Albert Finney played Alfie Byrne in the film (Lincoln Center Theater).
• The musical was created by Flaherty, Ahrens, and McNally (Lincoln Center Theater).

What’s unclear

• The exact circumstances of Oscar Wilde’s deathbed conversion remain debated by scholars (Classic Stage Company).
• Whether the musical will receive a Broadway revival is unconfirmed as of 2025.
• Streaming availability of the film changes frequently by region.

Quotes from the film and musical

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

— Oscar Wilde (as quoted by Alfie Byrne in both the film and musical), referenced via Lincoln Center Theater program notes

“Love who you love. It’s the only thing that makes life worth living.”

— Alfie Byrne (musical version), performed by Roger Rees in the original 2002 production (Lincoln Center Theater)

“The musical confronts bigotry and shame over a love ‘that dare not speak its name.'”

— Classic Stage Company production notes (Classic Stage Company)

“This is a story about a man who finally learns to stop hiding.”

— Lynn Ahrens, lyricist, in an interview with Los Angeles Times

These voices—from the characters and the creators—underscore the central tension: the cost of hiding versus the risk of truth. The musical, especially, uses Wilde’s own words as a lifeline for Alfie, making the audience root for his liberation.

Final word

For audiences discovering A Man of No Importance today, the story offers a lens on a specific moment in Irish history that still echoes. The film preserves Albert Finney’s quietly devastating performance, while the musical gives Alfie a fuller voice—and a song. For theaters looking for a show that combines humor, heart, and social commentary, the musical is a smart pick; for film buffs, the original movie rewards patience. The choice between them is not about quality but about format—and the answer depends on whether you want to watch Alfie’s story or hear him sing it.

Frequently asked questions

For further reading, you may be interested in the Gaiety Theatre Dublin Guide or the history of the Auld Triangle Pub, both of which capture the Dublin setting that gives A Man of No Importance its texture.