The Importance of Being Earnest – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The third week in January traditionally brings ‘Blue Monday’, reportedly the most depressing day of the entire year. So, in an attempt to pull the audience away from the warmth of hearth and home in the depths of Winter, Altrincham Garrick Playhouse have updated Oscar Wilde’s enduring masterpiece of misunderstanding and deception for a modern audience.

First staged on Valentine’s Day 1895, the plot of ‘Earnest’ revolves around the wooing of Gwendolen Fairfax (Antonia Whitehead) and Cecily Cardew (Lauren Robinson) by John Worthing (Jamie Sloan) and Algie Moncrieff (Chris Shoop Worrall), abetted by the usual farcical misunderstandings and enough outrageous plot twists to make Charles Dickens blush. What lifts the play above mere buffoonery is the quality of the writing, the genius ‘bon mot’ that Wilde manages to offer every one of his characters, brings a fresh crispness to each reading even after nearly 130 years of familiarity.

Unfortunately, much of the waspish humour is lost in this production, the decision to retain the original language, storyline and social mores of the late nineteenth century jarring horribly with the added modern references to bitcoin, emails and Twitter. I am a real advocate of adapting and updating the classic canon for modern audiences, ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ and the recent ‘Jack Absolute Flies Again’ at the National Theatre, are examples of when this is done well. Both took inspiration from the original story and firmly placed the production in its new timeframe, that is not the case here, where the grafting on of a few modern idioms and using technology adds little and distracts enormously. As with Austen, Wilde originally used this play to hold a mirror up to the hypocrisy and false morality of society whilst examining marriage as a necessary construct for women to prosper. This is not really a relevant reflection of today’s society, therefore the updating is flawed and artistically redundant. More practical considerations also weighed, the programming of this production appears to have suffered due to its proximity to both pantomime and the forthcoming ‘Shakespeare in Love’ in the calendar, with the result that both set and costume were deemed almost superfluous and may have played a part in the decision to make this a modern piece.

Without period costume and lavish sets acting as support, the success was reliant on the performances of the cast to bring it to life. Sloan and Whitehead paired excellently as John/Ernest and Gwendolen, demonstrating an easy affection that replicated their brilliant duologue in last years ‘Constellations’ in the Lauriston Studio. Whitehead also sparred beautifully with Robinson as rivals for the affections of the non existent Ernest, this being the only scene that truly landed with the audience, bringing genuine rather than strained laughter. First night nerves caused others to struggle with delivering the light witticisms in a manner that engaged, with Lady Bracknell a particularly diminished figure, shorn of her customary huge hats and enormous bustle, she was more a 1970’s caricature of a mother in law, rather than the Gorgon of literary fame.

Director Nick Sample has obvious affection for this play, his decision to reinstate a long cut scene to this performance demonstrates knowledge and inventiveness, but he was far too restricted in his directorial choices resulting in a production that will please neither traditionalists or modernisers in the audience.

Reviewer: Paul Wilcox

Reviewed: 16th January 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★