The Importance Of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde’s most famous play, “The Importance Of Being Earnest,” opened in London on Valentine’s day 1895. It ran for 86 performances. Such was the popularity of Wilde that he had four plays running in the West End at the same time. The hype surrounding “Importance” was immense leading to advance sales exceeding all expectations resulting in full houses, amongst whom were many of the great and the good of the late Victorian era, for every single show. However, the playwright went from hero to zero in one night. At the very moment Wilde was arrested for “gross indecency” the crowds evaporated taking with them Wildes’ reputation as a much loved, if not a little peculiar, literary lion.  In his pomp fans had pushed their way through crowds just to get a glimpse of him in his artistic mode of dress, green carnation included. Now they jeered him as he stood in prison clothes handcuffed to a warder.  One day idly sipping chilled champagne while languishing in a plush boudoir, the next miserably confined while sat picking oakum in a damp insanitary prison under a harsh regime.

 “Much it grieves my heart to think what man has made of man”, to quote William Wordsworth writing over 50 years before.

It is impossible for modern audiences not to be moved by these facts when watching this unique play. Such were my thoughts as I sat down to enjoy Blackburn Drama Club’s interpretation of this much-loved masterpiece.

Aphorisms hurtle at us, one after another with dazzling speed. One wonders how long it took Wilde to write the play. One romantically imagines it to be a stream of consciousness, well perhaps not. Its wit is breath-taking. Its targets - several. Wilde rails against the hypocrisy of the ruling class, the love of money, the absolute necessity to conform and know your place. The dubious morality of the church and much more. But remember the society of the time knew itself to be hypocritical. In 1895 if your public image is squeaky clean you can carry on in secret without fear of reprisal. Wilde’s nemesis the hard drinking bully the Marquess of Queensberry, who incidentally died in 1900 of syphilis, was a pillar of society. Next to the respectable theatres stood the music halls where young men of aristocratic lineage indulged in dubious liaisons. Wilde was a playwright and no matter how feted they were, playwrights, were not pillars of society!  Indeed, they were fair game when the chase was on for bringing down to ignominy.

Director Clive Stack’s lively engaging interpretation was infectious right from the first mimed introduction up to the very end including the classy curtain call.

The use of the excellently performing servants was ingenious. They became the ordinary people, totally divorced from the goings on of their masters and betters yet tacitly expressing their opinions through their actions. The painting by William Etty of a naked young lady’s rear, (is it Bunbury or Bumbury,) drew our attention to the seamier hidden side of Algernon. Its magical metamorphosis to a portrait of Lady Bracknell was a real surprise. As an aside Clive told me he had adopted the idea after seeing another eminent Drama Club Director work the same trick. Talking of asides there were many in this production.  Yet asides do not always have to break the fourth wall. Many of Shakespeare’s characters asides are either thrown into thin air or utilised to explicitly demonstrate the characters inner thought processes. I am not convinced that they were all necessary in this production.  The one that really worked for me was not actually an aside but Stage Manager Graham Howarth’s gentle reminder to ASM Jonathan Mallinson that they were not alone but were being observed.

Dominic Dyer as Jack and Stephen Claxon as Algernon were earnest in their urbane interpretation of two dissolute young men about town (or about country when it suited.) They performed with flair ably assisted in their characters by the totally convincing costumes they were assigned by wardrobe mistresses Jacqueline Mooney and Heidi Needham. To paint a convincing portrait you must use the correct colours, to create a convincing character you must wear the right costumes. All the players were splendidly decked out.

Gwendolen (Clare St. Peirre) was outstanding. She was driven by her understanding of modern/late Victorian etiquette and respectability. Clare’s expressions were haughty and mannered. Gwendolen knew her place and she was not going to be slow in making sure everyone else did too.

It was a treat to see Gemma Nightingale back at the Empire. Full of energy and naivety and hearty good humour her Cecily Cardew was a delight. A facet of Gemma’s acting is that she possesses the aptitude to move effortless around the stage taking our focus of attention with her.

Another favourite Jan Burrow, so well disguised as Miss Prism I did not at first recognise her, was trim and confident. Not the repressed character we sometimes see in other productions. As the Reverend Doctor Chasuble Andrew Smith, decked out in clerical summer whites, also played his part away from the norm. One felt that this Chasuble, despite his possible protests to the contrary, was really a rake at heart who would have accepted another cup of tea, Vicar, and then topped it up with a wee dram from his secret hip flask. I loved it!

Simon Hall, Barbara Chadwick, Ben Ashworth and Chole Soria St. Pierre as the much put-upon house staff, (see above) decorated the stage with their actions. They were a proper tonic. I was eagerly anticipating their entrances. Small roles, even nonspeaking ones, contribute enormously to the overall success of a production, Clive was lucky in having such a well drilled and capable quartet.

The set changes were cunningly worked. The last scene, played askew, was clever.  Yet if it is to be accepted as such then the extension of its lines must be respected.

There are many diverse props in this play. Alison Smith and Carolanne Connolly worked their socks off to make sure the muffins and the cucumber sandwiches and all the other props essential to the plot were where they should have been. You can not produce a play without a great backstage team. This team was well oiled, working beyond the call of duty.

So!! Clive, this was a fantastic production. It was obvious you had put a great deal of thought into your vision of how you wanted to get the best from this frothy farce.

There were just a few things that troubled me. If actors are munching sandwiches or muffins, they must come up with a way of not garbling their lines or wait until they are not on cue. And at times such was the enthusiasm and clear love of their parts that the cast spoke a little too quickly thereby not allowing the audience time to savour the humour of their lines. I was also surprised that the director had allowed Lady Bracknell to be upstaged by Cecily by giving up her cane chair in the final act. This, Clive, put Lady B. in an awkward position. But I am clutching at straws here.

And now to Lady Bracknell herself. Siobhan Edge, making her debut for the club, was simply outstanding. Hers was a performance transcending skill and reaching for the stars. You could see her characters mind at work. Siobhan’s facial expressions were not overblown as with some actors (not in this production I hasten to add) but effective mini masterpieces.

To return to the beginning of this review. I can not fail to be moved by the irony of what was soon to befall Wilde. Yet I console myself with the thought that he would have been amused by such a successful interpretation of his last and arguably greatest play.

I look forward to seeing Clive Stack’s next production, which also happens to be the next offering by this society in the Autumn. (“One Man, Two Guvnors”).  Buy your tickets today!!

Thank you to everyone at Blackburn Drama Club for your hospitality. It was good to have the time to chat to so many friends.

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