Brisbane review - Earnest Creates Great Characters for Young Actors

By Lilian Harrington

Production: The Importance of Being Earnest

Writer: Oscar Wilde

Company: Redcliffe Musical Theatre (RMT)

Director: Gary Farmer-Trickett

Location: The Redcliffe Musical Theatre

102 Anzac Avenue Redcliffe

Season: 6- 15 June.

Bookings: Try Bookings or phone 0488103759

The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the most popular comedies from famed Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. He wrote it at the height of his popularity in the mid 1890’s and it has become one of his most famous legacies. He stated it was a piece of “trivial comedy for serious people” but it is actually a clever dig at the social customs, identity and conventions of the upper classes of the times.

It has been directed by Gary Farmer -Trickett, a seasoned actor and director, for Redcliffe Musical Theatre, who has played Jack Worthing several times himself and now as a director it has given him a different perspective on Wilde’s play. It’s allowed him and his cast to explore different ways to develop their characters.

The story focuses on Jack or Ernest Worthing, who was abandoned as a baby and left in a handbag at London’s Victoria Station, only to be rescued and raised by his stepfather, who has left him a property in the country and the means to make a comfortable living.

He has met and fallen in love with Gwendolen the daughter of Lady Bracknell, an upper-class snob. And he has befriended sassy Algernon, who is cousin to Gwendolen. Jack has two identity’s one for London, where he is known as Ernest and one for the country where he is recognized as Jack, and carer to his young ward Cecily. Lady Bracknell doesn’t approve of Jack’s engagement to Gwendolen, and there’s confusion when all appear at Jack’s country home unannounced; To complicate matters Algernon appears pretending to be Jack’s “missing brother” Earnest, who Jack has just announced has recently died. The conflict and confusion continue until the old teacher, Miss Prim, remembers what happened to the little baby she had mistakenly put in her big handbag years earlier. It appears Jack is the missing baby and he has inherited property. Rascally Algernon, wants to marry the delightful Cecily, Jack’s ward. Deals have to be struck before marital matters can be resolved; In the confusion the audience is kept interested and guessing. 

The audience were seated close to the stage. And the production was presented in a black curtained set with props and furniture indicating the period. It was supposed to suggest the 1920’s and to some extent this worked, but the costumes left one guessing as to what period the play was really set in. It would have been helpful to see the 1920’s style upper class dresses and shoes, as well as clean shoes to go with the colorful suits that Algernon wore, or those of the very precise Jack.

The action flowed well especially from the younger players; Deserving of special mention: Jack Worthing, (Jake Hollingsworth) and Algernon (Lachlan Boyes) along with young actor Cecily (Zoe Hitchcock) and Gwendolen (Ashlee Hermann) were impressive. Some very punchy and poignant moments were captured, for instance, when Cecily and Gwendolen argued over Ernest, and when the audience were kept entertained by Jack and Algernon’s asides.

The direction showed a good orchestration of each scene and the diction was clear with confident characterizations. The production had pace and energy, but some line lapses were obvious at times, which impacted on the moment and slowed the momentum.

The production runs at the Redcliffe Musical Theatre until June 15. This classic comedy from Wilde, is one that students and audiences will enjoy.