THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. To 18 March.
Colchester
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
by Oscar Wilde
Mercury Theatre To 18 March 2006
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 2, 4, 9, 11 March 2.30pm
Audio-described 1 March 2.30pm
BSL Signed 2 March 7.30pm
Runs 2hr 35min Two intervals
TICKETS:01206 573948
boxoffice@mercurytheatre.co.uk
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 27 February
A vital Importance.
This is a fresh, witty Earnest at all social levels. As a class servant, Ignatius Anthony’s smooth, slick-haired Lane transmutes into a bumpkin Merriman, dropping his first silver salver of the evening, and knocked for six by Lady Bracknell.
Miss Prism and Rev Chasuble have a splendid verbal and gestural ballet of confusion over their inadvertent innuendoes. Roger Delves-Broughton’s Chasuble is a perfect study, wrapping his throat in his scarf at the reference to slight chills, never overdoing the potential silliness. Janette Legge’s Prism swallows too many words but is a picture of propriety, and severely abashed by Lady Bracknell.
Christine Absalom plays the Lady with hints of middle-class bustle in movement and manner. It’s a beautifully-judged performance, indicating someone well-settled in the aristocracy but disturbed by any irregularity: unpredictability threatens the social position to which she has risen. So Gwendolen, born to high-manners, will never become just like her mother. But Miranda Floy makes evident an inherited command, ordering her suitor to his knees with a sharp arm-gesture and staying poised when she’s left holding his cup-and-saucer and ashtray while being proposed to.
For a moment it’s surprising Kelly Williams’ Cecily doesn’t look surprised when she sees Gwendolen. Cecily’s assumed she would be an old lady. But, to 18-year old Cecily, Gwendolen is old. Williams gives a delicious, subtle performance which mixes Cecily’s shrewdness and calculation with childlike immediacy, occasional gawky movement, and near-constant delight (it takes a lot to remove the wide smile from her face).
In a telling detail, she hands Gwendolen sugared tea and cake not when the visitor asks for unsweetened tea and bread-and-butter, but when she adds these are the fashionable choices (the cake slice is half-way to the bread, swivelling upwards only at the extra words).
Martin Parr’s Algy reins in the camp just enough, giving an enjoyable spoilt-little-rich-boy performance offset by Justin Grattan’s ever-earnest Worthing. Algy’s gowns, cravat and overflowing manner contrast John’s suited formality. All this on Sara Perks’ set, which sets the action forward, conveying period realism through blow-up photographs, makes for one of the more important Earnests of recent years.
Lane/Merriman: Ignatius Anthony
Algernon Moncrieff: Martin Parr
John Worthing JP: Justin Grattan
Lady Bracknell: Christine Absalom
Hon Gwendolen Fairfax: Miranda Floy
Cecily Cardew: Kelly Williams
Miss Prism: Janette Legge
Rev Canon Chasuble DD: Roger Delves-Broughton
Director: Richard Baron
Designer: Sara Perks
Lighting: Robin Carter
Composer: Jon Beales
2006-03-01 01:45:46