The Importance of Being Earnest

The greed and rules of high society form the basis of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 farce The Importance of Being Earnest, which concludes the Lyceum’s successful Autumn of Love season. Directed by Mark Thomson and featuring many of the same actors from their earlier production of Romeo and Juliet, this revival reveals that Wilde’s work has survived the centuries relatively unscathed to create a modern take on Britain today. In Wilde’s classic comedy, set in 19th century London, the love and fortunes of the mysterious John ‘Earnest’ Worthing (Ben Deery) are discovered when his engagement to Gwendolyn Fairfax (Melody Grove) unsettles her mother, Lady Bracknell (Alexandra Mathie) and unearths some questions about his past and identity.

Thomson’s revival of Wilde’s most famous play, is, for the best part, a fitting end to the Lyceum’s season, which began with Tony Cownie’s Romeo and Juliet. Written, unlike its predecessor, as a comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest celebrates the themes of longing and forbidden love with a breathlessly youthful exuberance. While the decision to stage these two very different plays one after another may seem odd, the similarities between them are clearly visible as their contrasting plots give way to reveal the simple and timeless message of standing up for what you love, regardless of the consequences.

Parodying Victorian attitudes towards sex, love and family, The Importance of Being Earnest has long been lamented by critics and theatre practitioners for its relative lack of social and political commentary. But Thomson’s production, while a little heavy handed with some of the play’s camper moments, does at times bear a striking resemblance to the British political landscape of 2010, where excessive spending, such as the kind that Earnest has become used to, has led to ruthless cuts across the country.

Adapted by the director to include a few thinly veiled jibes at the coalition government’s expense, Wilde’s text, while dated, perfectly encapsulates the political disillusionment of our times. A strong cast present a succinct and somewhat hammy front, while Mathie’s perfectly Thatcheresque portrayal of the uptight and domineering Lady Bracknell, complete with the reckless extravagance of Neil Murray’s colourful costumes and set became the production’s main highlights. Surprisingly refreshing, upbeat and very, very funny, this revival of The Importance of Being Earnest pays tribute to the transcending nature of Wilde’s work, and the impressive quality of the Lyceum’s recent work.