The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest’s original opening in 1895 was well received. Unfortunately, it was caught up with Oscar Wilde’s arrest and imprisonment for homosexuality and soon closed.  But the play’s farcical inventiveness and wordy joy has stood as a theatrical beacon and has been performed almost continually since then. This version introduces some background material in extra dialogue and embraces a much more overtly sexual tone with cucumbers and bread rolls delivering rousing performances. This would be gratuitous but for the commentary which is activated and transformed in this new setting about social expectations and obligations.

Most of the play is wildly wordy, energetic and focussed but there are moments of tenderness and the introduction of some known information about Wilde’s life such as the planned presentation to Wilde of a rotten vegetable bouquet by the father of his lover. These moments ground the play as do the times when original text is used.

The actors swap roles and clothes and continually invite the audience into their mayhem. The lighting and sound are just enough to add an additional layer of texture.

Attempting to refresh such a classic is brave, and this version stands alone but is even better with a knowledge of the original.

Ruth Richter

Photographer: Sarah Walker.