Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest brought UMDS’ MIFTA season to a close with a well-deserved standing ovation. Directed by Liv Jeffery and Charlie Rider, this adaptation was a perfect showcase of camp satirical exaggeration.
The classic play follows the story of Algernon Moncrieff (Ben McCamley) and Jack Worthing (Zack Maile) as they attempt to win over the women they intend to marry. Both women, however, find it vital that their husbands should be called Earnest, which leads to a bounty of misunderstandings, deception and hijinks. The Importance of Being Earnest is a beautiful satire of the upper class’ delusions and assumptions, and the UMDS performance encapsulates them to a tee.
The play’s status in the theatrical canon may be a daunting challenge to live up to, but McCamley’s Algernon is the perfect expression of a camp, chaotic, and irresponsible upper-class man, capturing the intent of Wilde’s character. Additionally, Maile’s Jack provides a balanced to Algernon’s personality, with his more logical, headstrong approach. The pair capture the heightened exaggeration of the upper class through their obliviousness and lies. Moreover, this is only made possible by the disgruntled, realistic presentation of the butler figures Lane and Merriman, both captured brilliantly by Fraser Crook in some of the best deadpan humour the show has to offer.
Furthermore, in Act 2, Stella Haden’s Cecily Cardew and Freya McCourt’s Gwendolen Fairfax stand out in their argument and later sisterhood. When they meet, these two capture the tension between the girls as they misunderstand, due to Algernon and Jack’s lies, and believe they are engaged to the same man.
Haden and McCourt are able to define the differences between the two characters, with Cecily’s childlike innocence and sheltered personality juxtaposing Gwendolen’s aggressive flirtations and possessive nature. Their mock standoff creates the jealous tension between the two, using their diaries as faux guns and the scathing looks they give each other. Additionally, Haden and McCourt present the girls’ immediate sisterhood through a beautiful comedic exchange after discovering they have both been lied to.
Another person whose performance exceeded all expectations was Joe Moore’s Reverend Canon Chasuble. Moore’s comedic timing and wistful facial expressions capture the Reverend’s repressed sexuality perfectly. Moore is able to stand out as the Reverend, unaware of the manipulation and his flirtations with Miss Prism (Lucy Hobbs), as too does Mili Branston as the formidable Lady Bracknell: her authoritative delivery and stage presence evoke excellent reactions from the rest of the cast, each of whom clearly dread seeing her.
Jeffery and Rider direct the play with a frantic comedic energy that makes the whole thing play out almost like an intricately choreographed dance — no moment is wasted and each line is perfectly positioned to deliver both setup and punchline. Additionally, the simplicity of the set allows for ease of movement through different spaces, which is key to the play.
While the performers and set design were unbelievable, the use of ‘in the round’ style seating led to moments where I felt as an audience member blocked out of the action of the play. There were moments when all the actors had their backs to you, the audience member, which created a sense of disconnect. This was especially apparent when the other side of the audience laughed, but you could not see the expressions and subtleties that prompted it. In the round can be a very effective staging choice, but I felt it did not complement many of the play’s more dramatic moments.
Designer Evie Moore gives a kind of timeless appeal to the play by cleverly using anachronistic costuming and set design to heighten the comedic absurdity. Crook’s Victorian tailcoat contrasts with McCourt’s Prohibition-era gold dress and necklace, and the more modern black-and-white filmed opening that gives an air of celebrity and high fashion to the show.
The Importance of Being Earnest highlights the importance of the name Earnest through satire of the upper class’s delusions. Jeffery and Rider’s adaptation of a classic play is the best way to round out the MIFTAS season.
