Salisbury Playhouse – until 24 March 2018. Reviewed by Jo Gordon
4****
The Importance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wilde’s most well known play, a satirical take on Victorian high society and their ideals. Set around two friends; Jack Worthing (Peter Sandys-Clarke) and Algernon Moncrieff (Thomas Howes) are both leading double lives. When Jack heads into London from the country he is known as Earnest and when in the country he is known as Jack referring to Earnest as his younger reprobate brother, and Algernon using Bunbury to be able to escape any tedious commitments that may be place upon him. Both men learn of the other ones double life. Jack has fallen in love with Algernons cousin Gwendoline Fairfax (Hannah louise Howell) and wishes to propose marriage and of course she accepts she always wished to marry an Earnest. Gwendoline’s Mother, the snobbish yet hilarious lady Bracknell (Gwen Taylor) soon puts a stop to this after learning that earnest was adopted after being found in a handbag within Victoria station.
Intrigued by the sound of Jack’s ward, Cecily (Louise Coulthard), Algernon heads to the country under the guise of Jack’s brother Earnest, and is welcomed into the home by Cecily who instantly falls in love with him and he her, again having a love for the name Earnest. Meanwhile Jack has decided to abandon his double life, returning home in full mourning suit declaring Earnest’s demise from a chill in Paris… awkward! Gwendoline then arrives to complicate matters further as she has absconded from home with Lady Bracknell hot in pursuit. In case you are a rarity like myself in not really knowing much about the story I will not go any further with the spoilers! Having only ever touching base with Oscar Wilde in my school days a 100 years ago, I will admit I was pretty adamant this would not be something that would fill me with enjoyment, how wrong I was! Maybe all the years that have passed since and maturity (some would argue that’s yet to come) has changed my opinion.
The set design was fantastic, portraying the country house, London pad and the country garden beautifully and transitioning you to each space effortlessly.
A brilliant cast that left me in awe of how strong they were in delivering such large pieces of dialogue effortlessly. Peter Sandys-Clarkes stiff, serious demeanour as Jack balanced well with the bumbling, bouncy childlike presence of Algernon. Gwen Taylor’s Lady Bracknell had me loving her and disliking her in the same breath, utterly frustrating with her elitism but delivering her opinions and thoughts with impeccable comic timing and amusing quips.
I think this play has as much place in today’s world than when it first opened on 14 February 1895 as many people now seem to have a double life, the life they actually live and then the life they wish people to perceive they have as they share it with the world on social media . Maybe we should take heed of Jacks revelation of realising the importance of being earnest in life.