REVIEW - The Importance of Being Earnest, 26th - 29th March 2025 - ***1/2
- theatrereviews
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
Laura Griffin’s whirlwind production is a high-spiritedly satisfying night, in this tasteful, traditional adaptation of arguably Wilde’s greatest play.
There are no surprises in this sleek and faithful retelling, except perhaps in the recognition of just how well Wilde wrote for women. Lady Bracknell to one side (for the moment, at least, for she is immortal as the most transcendent character of any Earnest show), Griffin has eked many nuances and moments of drollery from the characters of Gwendolyn Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, played by Melissa Poulson and Megan Davies respectively. Against the more brash but still appetising tomfoolery and pettiness demonstrated by Jack Worthing (Dan Poulson) and Algernon Moncrieff (Callum Forman), Fairfax/Poulson and Cardew/Davies, through Griffin’s pleasing depiction, provide the majority of the belly laughs in this evergreen comedy of manners, where perhaps in some productions, the characters’ qualities have been overlooked.I suppose Earnest would now fall under the misnomer of ‘traditional farce’; there are constant mistimed/unwarranted entrances (albeit no actual doors, in this particular instance), lots of misconstrued misunderstandings, and, of course, cases of mistaken identity. Wilde’s densely packed script, however, focuses more on the social angst, even claustrophobia, rather than the various physical comings-and-goings – the moments of “who’s coming to disrupt this latest development” can be counted on one hand. Perhaps, especially in the initial act, this production would benefit from an even further, thorough excavation into Wilde’s notoriously piquant witticisms, which would probably lead to a greater variation in delivery. But this is a minor point; instead, Griffin’s cast deliver an almost machine-gun attack… the “meat”, after all, comes when both Jack and Algernon are caught off-guard, under the guise of “Ernest”.
The set, designed by Julian Warrick and Callum Forman, along with sound design by Callum Thursby, deserves special mention. In both cases, it’s economical, and all the better for it. The two carousel-like pieces of set effectively take us through the three acts, and the sound design equally lets the words and the performers do the heavy-lifting.
Both Forman and Poulson bring major comedic prowess to their roles, and, just as importantly, are very believable as old friends. Brief but wonderful moments of slapstick are well mined, and Griffin choreographs these sometimes throwaway snippets with flare.
Jo Warrick, as Lady Bracknell, dominates both her scenes, and rightfully so. Diminutive but aggressive with it, Bracknell’s rollercoaster of emotions, occasionally hiding behind but also blatantly in her snide putdowns and rumbustious criticisms, are pitch-perfectly discarded about with relish. Warrick picks her moments when Bracknell vocally erupts; Bracknell, against a metaphorical wall and with her late-19th century values alongside her, has nothing else to fall back on.
The cast is rounded out by Rachel Rowett’s Miss Prism (her shrew-like demeanour in the denouement bringing a touch of melodrama), Peter Kay as the equally pivotal Rev. Canon Chasuble (and reminiscent of the admirable jollity of Robert Morley), Mick Broadhurst as dependable butler Lane (and stealing the first laugh on the opening night) and Ben Green as the exasperated butler, Merriman.
The spotlight, however, is stolen by Megan Davies’ beautifully crafted portrayal as Cecily. The wide-eyed ingenue makes way for a rebellious, cheeky, underhanded ‘femme-fatale’. It’s Davies “duo-scenes” (opposite Forman and Melissa Poulson, who are both just as excellent here) that make up the best vignettes in the production. It is a stellar performance, sometimes as unnerving as Lady Bracknell, but just as pleasing to watch.
As with all farces, the greater the set-up, the greater the pay off. The plotting and pacing of Act One doesn’t always work in the script’s, or the performers, favour, but this is a very pleasing, and often very funny, reminder of what a bonafide classic The Importance of Being Earnest continues to be.
The Importance of Being Earnest is being performed at the Blackfriars Arts Centre in Boston, Friday 28th and Saturday 29th March 2025. Click on the link below to buy tickets.
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