On the day the world lost Stephen Hawking and Jim Bowen, it seemed appropriate to spend the evening enjoying the work of a man known for both his transcendent genius and razor-sharp wit.
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest opened at the Manchester Opera House this week, directed by Alastair Whatley for the Original Theatre Company.
It’s a production that fizzes like a spritzer, the cadence of the dialogue and energy of the performers ensuring an enjoyably ebullient spectacle.
We open in Algernon Moncrieff’s London flat, the era’s aesthetic and aestheticism captured well by Designer Gabriella Slade. Thomas Howes’ Algernon is the perfect blend of dandy and bravado, draping over the scenery like a Victorian silk throw.
The chemistry between Algernon and Peter Sandys-Clarke as Jack Worthing takes a little time to develop, but eventually the two become an amusing pairing. The two share an interest in deceit – Jack with his fabricated identity as the eponymous Earnest, Algernon with his visits to the imaginary Bunbury as a way of avoiding social commitments.
Mr Worthing wishes to become engaged to Gwendolen Fairfax, though as a self-made man with little to no social standing, he has some climbing to do.
Most importantly, he must win over the indomitable Lady Bracknell, played by Gwen Taylor on formidable form as the mother-in-law of all mothers-in-law. She gives a commanding and acerbic performance, with her assessment Mr Worthing’s suitability one of the evening’s standout moments.
As we meet the precocious Cecily Cardew (Louise Coulthard) it is Algernon’s turn as Earnest, the lovestruck fop. Thoughtful direction ensures we’re constantly reminded of the vulnerability of the play’s male characters, despite their scheming and deceit.
Though only featuring on stage for short bursts, further laugh-out-loud moments come from Susan Penhaglion and Geoff Aymer’s satisfying double act as Miss Prism and the Reverend Canon Chasuble.
Though the production certainly prioritises farce over fable, some of Wilde’s biting satire of the absurdity of Victorian society remains. The youthful, engaging cast help maintain a relevance to the world of modern-day courtship – Earnest is, after all, the original Catfish.
So while the truth in this play ‘is never pure and rarely simple’, the production is a clear, straightforward success.
*The Importance of Being Earnest is playing at the Opera House Manchester until Saturday, March 17. You can buy tickets HERE.
