“From the impeccable casting to exquisite costumes and set, this version ,,, is a delight.“
Alethea Mouhtouris
4 Stars
Venue: The Guild Theatre, Rockdale
Until 28 March
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is such an iconic work, requiring rapid-fire verbal exchange, precise comedic timing, and accuracy of character portrayal, that it can be a risky endeavour. Fortunately, this production strikes the right notes in every way. From the impeccable casting to exquisite costumes and set, this version – directed by Brendan Jones – is a delight.
Set in 1890s London, the play focuses on two young gentlemen who use the name ‘Ernest’ as an alter ego to get up to mischief. They each attract the attention of gently-bred women who adore the name ‘Ernest’: “My ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence.”
A satire, The Importance of Being Earnest offers biting insights into a top-drawer world populated by men who don’t work, women who don’t seem to do very much at all, and matriarchs who maintain the uncompromising rules of society by clasping them tightly to
their (ample) bosom.
As Jack Worthing/Ernest 1, Simon Pearce is fun to watch. He’s uptight, with compressed lips and carefully combed hair – but explodes when provoked by Algernon Montcrieff/Ernest 2, played by Harry Rutner. Montcrieff is a lad, an indolent dandy, all too fond of himself – a character clearly modelled on Wilde himself – and I imagine Wilde would approve of Rutner’s portrayal. Both Pearce and Rutner bounce off each other to great effect.
Julia Burns as the Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax conjures up guffaws from the audience. She’s precise in wit and tone, and her facial expressions leave no illusion of her true feelings. Isla Harris as Worthing’s young ward Cecily is a delight to watch. Cecily is mercurial in mood – from sweetness to petulant – and Harris portrays her with a delicate touch. There’s light and joy in Harris. She is one to watch in the future.
Both Miss Prism (Lyn Lee) and Rev. Canon Chasuble (Kevin Tanner) are sublime. Leigh Scanlon in dual roles as the manservant and butler is a tottering gem.
Perhaps the night belongs to Lady Bracknell, or rather Christiane Brawley. She embodies the frightfully imperious and haughty Lady Bracknell, and has mastered the rolled trill of the rrr’s – a vibrato sound so redolent of that era. Think Maggie Smith at her most aristocratic. And look out for the cleverly engineered eye flutter which has been used to great effect by many great dames throughout the ages to portray incomprehensible horror at a social faux pas.
While most of the play relies heavily on delivery of language, this cast injects an element of physical humour too. The two sets of lovers cling to each other, then cast away with flair. The two Ernests tackle, they fling themselves about, occupying the full stage (RIP crystal bowl which flew off the table and broke into pieces after Pearce’s enthusiastic placement of the handbag in which he was found.)
Leone Sharp, responsible for costume design and coordination, is to be congratulated on such a beautiful series of outfits. From beautiful ankle-length dresses with leg o’mutton sleeves, gorgeous hats, and dainty parasol to crisp day suits and sharp-toed shoes, the costumes are evocative of the period and give the production extra character.
The Importance of Being Earnest was written and first performed 130 years ago. Even so, director Brendan Jones said the play was just as relevant to modern audiences “because in the age of social media, it’s very easy to pretend to be someone else, or to pretend to have a different life.”
The set has a personality – Jones refers to it as a “character in its own right”. Set designer Nathan Farrow has used rotating set pieces to change the setting, transporting the audience from the formal Albany Hall in central London to the garden at The Manor House in country Woolton. It’s a clever design which minimises moving parts, allowing more time for the production itself. Loved the tromp l’oeil which portrays the countryside.
The audience departed with smiles and many exclamations of the “wasn’t that great?” variety. Above everything else, audience pleasure is the best determiner of an excellent production – and this audience’s reactions spoke volumes.
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
