UK Theatre Network

The Rose Theatre, undeservedly plagued by financial woes because it does not receive any arts council funding whatsoever, presents an excellent production of Wilde’s most popular play with a fantastic cast. Unwin sees The Importance of Being Earnest as a satire on the state of affairs: “The high propriety of Lady Bracknell in all things marital; the hypocrisy of Algernon and Jack; the indelicacy of Cecily and Gwendolen; the hidden secrets of Prism and Chasuble; the voracious appetites lurking beneath the genteel surface; and the never-ending inversion of the moral and the serious with the trivial and the pleasurable, are all designed to mock a particular set of Victorian mores.”  Unwin presents a fresh and new view of Wilde’s classic play. His comic timing and tempo are impeccable although I could not quite see the necessity for two intervals for this particular play. It rather slows things down. 

Quite often the young lovers seem interchangeable but in this production Algy (Bruce Mackinnon) is suave and urbane, a bit mischievous, whereas Jack (Daniel Brocklebank) is suitably nervous and indignant. Jane Asher plays a fairly young Lady Bracknell, quite different from the usually brazen character. Still authoritative her reaction to the handbag story is quite restrained, to great comic effect. Kirsty Besterman’s Gwendolen is charming and amiable yet already a younger version of her mother whilst Jenny Rainsford conveys the sweetness and shallowness of her character perfectly when she refuses to do her German lesson because it makes her look plain. Richard Corderey, who can also be seen in repertory with Jane Asher in Farewell to the Theatre, plays Rev. Canon Chasuble with gentle humour and affection when he carefully tiptoes towards a relationship with the delightful Miss Prism (Ishia Bennison). 

This is a production worth seeing so please make your way to the wonderful Rose Theatre in Kingston! 

Until 30^th October 2011
Rose Theatre - Kingston 2008. 24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL

Box office: 08444 821556