Furies Theatre is currently presenting Oscar Wilde’s 1895 masterful comedy of British Society and its manners, set in the frivolous 1920s. Oscar Wilde’s rapid fire entertainment is expertly directed by Chris McKay.
John (Jack/Earnest) Worthing, the play’s protagonist, is a very responsible and respectable young gentleman of excellent means, but leads a double life as Earnest Worthing. Lady Bracknell is Algernon’s domineering blunderbuss of an aunt, and is Gwendolen’s mother. Cecily Cardew, is the eighteen-year-old granddaughter of the late Thomas Cardew, who found baby Jack in a handbag, at the cloak room of Victoria Railway Station (Brighton Line) and then adopted Jack.
Miss Prism as the governess, is a frequent source of bankrupt clichés and severe pronouncements that create audience laughter. Reverend Chasuble entertains unrequited secret romantic feelings for Miss Prism.
No man is called Earnest. Jack is moral and Algernon is immoral. Jack Worthing is deeply in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, but Gwendolen is deeply in love with Earnest. We learn of Algernon’s practice of “Bunburying’, posing as Jack’s non-existent brother Earnest.
Algernon Moncrieff instantly falls for Jack’s ward Cecily Cardew, but Cecily is also in love with Earnest. Cecily and Gwendolen are both in love with the same mythical suitor. If only someone was actually Earnest.
Trivial behaviour is displayed by all, with mistaken identities, secret engagements, and lovers entanglements, all delivered with perfect comedy timing, by an almost perfect cast. The only quibble was that the expected outraged angry delivery of her line “A hand-bag?” was not delivered in the best possible way by Emily Pollard playing Lady Bracknell.
Duration 165 minutes, including one interval.
Recommended, this production is playing in the Craftsman Bar, the warm and intimate 45 seat (max. 55 seat) performance space, within the Exchange Hotel, 94 Beattie Street, Balmain, NSW.
The remaining performances are Friday 8th, Saturday 9th, Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th, Thursday 14th at 7:30 pm PLUS Sunday 10th and 17th at 5:00pm.
http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=127195
The Cast:-
John Worthing, J.P. (Peter Bertoni)
Algernon Moncrieff (Peter-William Jamieson)
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D. (Brendon Taylor)
Merriman, Butler (James Stubbs Grigoriou)
Lane, Manservant (James Stubbs Grigoriou)
Lady Bracknell (Emily Pollard)
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax (Emilia Stubbs Grigoriou)
Cecily Cardew (Krystiann Dingas)
Miss Prism, Governess (Amanda Maple-Brown)
Download and read THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST the full 1895 script – – –
http://web.archive.org/web/20160804123528/https://www.bottletreeinc.com/pdf/Importance%20of%20Being%20Earnest.pdf – – –