The Importance of Being Earnest - Review - People's Theatre

The Importance of Being Earnest 

People's Theatre
2nd April 2019 


What's in a name? Does it define your character? Or does your character define your name?
Would the right name make a man more attractive? Would the wrong name make him less so? Is it fickle of a girl to profess her love for a man simply because he has a name that she has decided is a worthy one? Is this any less fickle than the rejection of a man as suitor to a daughter because he lacks a worthy name? Is family and heritage and reputation more important than individual character? All of these questions and about a hundred others are posed and, to some extent, answered in Oscar Wilde's witty social comedy.

It is a play of deceptions and misconceptions, double identities and double standards. Gwendolen, Algernon's cousin is in love with Earnest, but Earnest is really Jack. Jack is in love Gwendolen, but can't reveal his deception to her without losing her affection. Algernon discovers the deception and is intrigued by the discovery that his friend is the guardian to eighteen year old Cecily. Cecily, fancies herself in love with Earnest though she has never actually met him - tales of his high living have been recounted to her by Jack. Earnest proposes to Gwendolen - who accepts, but her mother, Lady Bracknell objects.  Algernon uses the excuse that his (imaginary) friend is ill and he must go to him immediately. He escapes to the country to meet the mysterious ward Cicely and pretends to be Earnest.

And that is the easy part of the plot! It all gets a whole lot more complicated, and hilarious, as the two friends try to extricate themselves from the deceptions they have created while still trying to achieve their objectives and win the hearts of their ladies!  Have you followed all of that? 

Photo: Paula Smart

It is a gem of a production with sparkling performances by the cast - particularly Kitty Parkins as Cecily Cardew, and Rachel Scott as the Honourable Gwendolen Fairfax  -  who have the audience laughing out loud. Colin Jeffrey and Richard Jack bounce off each off each as the begrudging friends, while John MacDonald and Reg White provide perfect foils to their nonsense, as the long suffering servants. 

The brilliant script by Wilde is bursting with searing one-liners that are delivered impeccably. 

This witty, fun and perfectly put together production is well worth seeing. It runs until Sat 6th April.

Denise Sparrowhawk