The Importance of Being Earnest

Written in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wilde’s most popular play. It is a comedy of manners, the story of two bachelors getting into increasingly complicated situations in the pursuit of the women they adore.

The National Theatre production takes the script and gives it a Bridgerton makeover with bright primary colours and performances ‘as camp as a row of tents’.

Wilde’s original dialogue is there in its entirety, but it is delivered in farce style with exaggerated facial expressions, moves and interesting touches; for example, Algernon opening the play in a pink ballgown, miming playing piano while the rest of the cast dance around him in matching black tie and moustaches. This sets the mood for the rest of the play.

Max Webster’s direction is tight and focusses on the laughs that abound in Wilde’s script, keeping his actors moving almost constantly (especially the two couples) and driving the pace, essential in any Wilde play.

Although Webster’s production is entertaining and packed with laughs, it seems to address today’s society more than reflecting 19th Century England.

This is not to say the acting is not first class, it is, and packed with comic gems – Merriman extracting some underwear from the couch with a pair of tongs, Clarke’s Lady Bracknell pronouncing cucumber as “kukumber’ in her Jamaican accent, the clever ‘covering of the scene changes with business in front of the curtain, Miss Prism and Reverend Chasuble cavorting in the garden and so much more including a dance number for the curtain calls with the cast dressed in Victorian underwear.

The cast inhabit lavish sets. As the audience enters the theatre, a large Victorian handbag dangles against the red curtain. In Act One we see a particularly grand English Drawing room (Algernon’s rooms in Half Moon Street). Act Two is a garden reminiscent of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Act Three is in the Morning-room at the Manor House, Woolton, (or is it the library?). Designed by Rae Smith (who also designed the costumes), the sets are spectacular to say the least.

Jon Clark’s lighting adds sparkle to the play as does Nicola T. Chang’s sound design and DJ Walde’s music. They all combine to create a world where the upper class can play.

Webster’s casting eclipse the environment they inhabit with Current Doctor Who leading man Ncuti Gatwa playing Algernon, Hugh Skinner of The Windsors fame (his friend Jack), Ronke Adékọluẹ́jọ́ (as the feisty Gwendolyn), Eliza Scanlen (as an almost feral Cecily who plays her role rather like Queen Elizabeth in Blackadder), Sharon D Clarke (as the Jamaican version of Lady Bracknell), Amanda Lawrence (as Miss Prism), Richard Cant (as the Reverend Canon Chasuble), Julian Bleach (as Merriman and Lane), and an ensemble comprising, Jasmine Kerr, Shereener Browne, Gillian McCafferty, Elliot Pritchard and John Vernon.

Gatwa’s Algernon and Skinner’s Jack (or Earnest) are played as extremely effeminate, which begs the question, why are they pursuing Gwendolyn and Cecily? At times, the effeminacy ramps up the humour but at the cost of the true spirit of the script.

Their scenes together demonstrate their mastery of delivery, every nuance is highlighted, every laugh is nailed, they ‘bounce off each other’ perfectly, particularly in the sandwich eating scene prior to Lady Bracknell’s entrance.

Clarke’s Lady Bracknell certainly makes an entrance in sunshine yellow, a Jamaican headscarf topped off with an enormous bright yellow picture hat and the obligatory handbag. Clarke delivers her lines with grace and determination, dominating every conversation. She sweeps on and off the stage like a battleship asserting her power.

Adékọluẹ́jọ́’s Gwendolyn is petulant and dare I say it horny! Having been repressed by Bracknell for so long, she is longing to break free from her clutches. Her scenes with Earnest are perfectly timed.

Scanlen’s Cecily is a reflection of the countryside in which she lives. She is a free spirit but still maintains her Victorian values.

Miss Prism and Rev Chasuble are often played for pure comedy, Lawrence and Cant do that in abundance but add an endearing touch of true blossoming romance. They are a heartwarming example of love in the twilight years.

Julian Bleach’s Merriman and Lane, (the two butlers) is a joy to watch as he quietly ‘steals every scene’. Every look, every gesture is perfect but not at the expense of other actors - a lesson in acting.

As entertaining as The Importance of Earnest is (and it is), for today’s audience it could be trimmed a little (10 to 15 minutes) as it is difficult for the cast to maintain the momentum over such a long playing time. Also, its updating is likely to upset many Wilde purists.

The Importance of Earnest by the National Theatre Live, is froth and bubble with more than a touch of glamour. It showcases Wilde’s wit and adds new life to a classic!

Barry Hill

OAM

Images Marc Brenner