It’s interesting that The Importance of Being Earnest is often performed as a ‘straight’ interpretation, which is ironic given the gay essence of the closeted homosexual playwright’s well-known work. And to be honest a key reason I was keen to see this version was its premise of a fresh innovative take on this tried and tested classic.

But fresh is probably an understatement when it comes to director Ben Henson’s vision to realise the homosexual subtext of Oscar Wilde’s infamous piece. Just a word of warning…if you’re an Importance of Being Earnest purist my advice is stay away. But if like me, and happy to put your trust in Henson’s OTT reimagining of Wilde’s gem, then this is definitely not to be missed. [More]

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The party fun starts even before you enter the theatre for this Importance of Being Earnest, fabulously reimagined as an all-male dandy revel. Magnificent creature Stephen Butterworth – resplendent in feathered turban, frilly knickers and beard – welcomes all-comers with a flick of green fingernails, a flash of diamanted nipples and a flutter of glittered eyelashes.

Inside, live music, haze and a string of green lights create an appealing speakeasy feel, while men in their shirtsleeves dance slowly in couples (the programme says we’re in a 1950s gay gentlemen’s club). [More]

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This modern retelling of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a sharp, energetic, beautifully pitched piece of theatre. Fractious Tash and Last Tapes Theatre Co have a hit on their hands and are to be toasted for pulling off such a stylish, complete piece of theatre.  

Benjamin Henson skillfully directs the company of eight wonderful male actors with rhythmic flair. As a director, he’s always aware of how to shape the ebbs and flows of a performance, and this company of energetic actors plus five-piece band are exciting to watch as they carve out the story of disguise and its complications. Henson is an exciting and lateral director. 

Disguise, Shakespeare’s ‘pregnant enemy that does much’, is the motif that propels Wilde’s play. Jack and Algernon both pretend to be ‘Earnest’ and from there the chaos begins. This concept is perfectly placed in a 1950’s gay gentleman’s nightclub where Lady Bracknell – a superb, omnipresent Stephen Butterworth, totally in his element and all over Wilde’s text – reigns supreme. Bracknell is like a coiled viper, ready to assess their merits and strike her next victim with the consonants of acerbic repartee.  

Love is the drug of the day, and all characters explore their innermost desires with delight. Jordan Mooney is a witty, foppish, energetic and outwardly conniving Algernon, played with a touch of Andrew Aguecheek. David Sutherland as Jack grounds the piece fantastically, while Oscar Wilson shines as Gwendolen.

Jordan Selwyn’s Miss Prism is intelligently constructed and so well played; she is a key figure in the plot resolution. Eli Mathewson’s Cecily is a scheming young thing, while Andrew Ford’s Chausable is a hilarious goof of a man, played with courage and wit.

The choice to bring a boxing match into Wilde’s play is eccentric and a perfect way to underscore the subtext of Gwendolen and Cecily’s conflicts. Only Henson would make this eccentric touch work.

Cole Jenkins’ Lane is a sensitive butler with stronger desires. He makes gorgeous sense of the puns in Wilde’s play. “There were no cucumbers at the market. I went down twice”, becomes something much more hilarious in this setting.

Robin Kelly’s superb musical direction and piano playing, with four other wonderful musicians, expertly underscore the tensions and triumphs in the story. Contemporary hits such as ‘If I could turn back time’, ‘Not Enough Love and Understanding’, and ‘I Got You Babe’ lend lyrics that make sense of the play. They also keep the action rollicking along. 

An excellent team – including Elizabeth Whiting on costumes, John Parker on stage design and Cherie Moore on vocals – bring out the best in what’s needed here.

This version of Earnest offers a strong concept that brings to the surface the puns and desires of each character. Everything is ‘out’; there’s no room for subtext here. If anything, this is my only gripe, and that’s a small one. This is not Wilde played with festering suggestion or hidden insinuation, and for some, that’s one of the joys of Wilde. But it’s refreshing to see this classic messed with and emerge as something so strong and there is textual integrity amongst the hyper energy. That integrity grounds it.

I’d love to see this show have a longer season and performed in other places besides the fantastic Q Theatre Loft Space. This production has serious legs and delivers a wickedly funny night out. Go see it.

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