A little context: The Importance of Being Earnest premiered in 1895, shortly before its author, Oscar Wilde, was imprisoned for homosexuality. While Victorian society was, of course, extremely repressed, meaning queer love interests could never be explicitly depicted on the stage, Wilde’s play is dripping in homoerotic subtext and Max Webster’s new production absolutely dials that subtext right up. The opening scene features current Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, resplendent in a pink ball gown, miming playing a grand piano – which pretty much sets the tone for how this is going to unfold.
If you’re not familiar with The Importance of Being Earnest – where have you been? This is queer canon! – it’s not the most challenging of plays to follow. It’s an elaborate farce, poking fun at society’s conventions, and depicts characters creating preposterous back stories to woo suitors who, objectively, are wholly unsuitable matches. It’s all wildly implausible, but frankly who cares when you’re having this much fun? It’s ridiculous, the jokes are hilarious, the acting superb, the set (by Rae Smith, also responsible for the stunning costumes) looks gorgeous – the vivid colours of the garden reveal is a real ‘wow’ moment.
We’re not quite sure where to begin with the acting – everyone is wonderful. Ncuti Gatwa is captivating throughout, a mischievous, almost anarchical Algernon, while Sharon D Clarke is a brilliant counterfoil as Lady Bracknell, eliciting a well-deserved round of applause for the iconic ‘handbag’ sketch. Hugh Skinner, as Jack, deploys some expert comic timing and excellent physical comedy, while love interests Gwendolen and Cecily (played by Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo and Eliza Scanlan respectively) are both commanding presences on the stage. They have a really enjoyable chemistry, too, riffing off each other in arguments and flirting outrageously.
We loved our evening with The Importance of Being Earnest – it’s a high-camp play that really requires an over-the-top
homosexual
queer
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Gay
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fun
Oscar Wilde