By Oscar Wilde

 

It may have been the same sofa but it was not the same production! We returned to Earnest because we felt that it is a play that always gives plenty of wit and glamour to its audience. .

Ruairidh was back in the director's chair having directed our original production in 2005. A very different cast this time though with some familiar faces.

This time we were able to make the scenes even plusher (Paul run up some very nice curtains and a pelmet). The set was dramatic in its simplicity, with the maximum height of each theatre being put to good use. The portrait in the third act in particular was very dramatic in its scale. We were able to reuse some of the costumes we had made for HMS Pinafore and the ladies loved swishing across the stage in those luxurious dresses – you could hear them coming!

Ruairidh’s cast were well drilled by the time of the run and each night went off without a hitch which is no mean feat when you consider all those lines. And there is no way to adlib with this type of play – you have to be word perfect to get the very best out of Wilde’s fantastic dialogue.

The main character of Algernon was delightfully played by Shane Goodsir who had just been our Peron in Earnest%202017. His expressive face and sharp delivery meant that not one joke was missed. Ably abetted of course by the somewhat harassed but ultimately triumphant Jack who was played as every inch the gentleman by Stephen Hopkins. Their romantic interests were well served by Cat Rose as Gwendolin, a chip off the old block, and Jess Player as Cecily, a pretty performance with a core of bright steel! The most famous character of this play is of course Lady Bracknell, Gwendolin’s mother, played with suitable bombast by Judy Harrhy. We felt that every night there were those in the audience who admired her as well as recognised her from their own experiences of potential mother-in-laws. With Helen Windsor as the dizzy Miss Prism; Steve Davies as the gentle Dr Causable and Paul Buckle and Carys Hughes bringing up the rear as the domestics, Land and Merriman, we think we had a very solid cast. This production also won a handful of awards at the annual NODA Awards for our district: Best Drama Production, Best Drama Performance - Shane Rose-Goodsir  as Algernon Moncrieff and Best Supporting Drama Performance - Stephen Hopkins  as John Worthing. 

The Company really enjoyed this production from start to finish; however, we suspect that Shane will never want to see another cucumber sandwich or a muffin again.