The various intimate spaces at the Motley Bauhaus in Carlton are designed for indie theatremakers, comedians, poets and cabaret artists to show off their new, edgy, Fringe type work. It’s not usually known for staging classics, but at the moment, Misfit Toys is doing just that with their production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
This
trivial comedy for serious people remains hilarious with its commentary on
relationships, judging people by their appearance and keeping your real-self
hidden under the surface. It was the high point of Wilde’s career, but it was
quickly followed by his arrest and imprisonment.
Indie theatre
darlings Bloomshed staged a deconstructed version last year, folding in Wilde’s
personal dramas, and Ridiculusmus’ two-man version remains one of my more
memorable nights at the theatre. Simon Phillips chose it as his MTC swansong in
2011. And the recent acclaimed National Theatre production is moving to the
West End with Stephen Fry as Lady Bracknell. It's beloved.
The plot
moves quickly, with twists and turns coming faster than you can order cucumber
sandwiches. You want to feel the story flying at you thick and fast, because if
you take the time to put things together, you might get ahead or realise how
silly it all is.
Director
Darby Turnbull has assembled a cast of female and non-binary actors to really ratchet
up the comedy about gender and expectations. Em Glencorse’s Algernon is a
stand-out, with their slick curls and deliciously sarcastic refrain. Quinn
Landsam-Jones is a delight as Cecily Cardew, using some outstanding physical
comedy to elevate the part. Nisha Selvaraj’s Gwendolen is top-notch, too. And I
enjoyed Karen S Yee playing Bracknell as a biting angry mother; short of
stature and full of force.
It's a
pleasure to listen to Wilde’s dialogue and see some young actors relish the
roles. Unfortunately, the pace was a little too subdued. Most productions understand
that Wilde’s dialogue needs to be rapid-fire, you can’t languish at all. And as
the truth of the story falls into place, it should do so with the precision of
clockwork. There is a lot in this work to still be enjoyed, but some of the
actors were halting in their delivery and this production was just too laid
back overall.
Illustration: Bryony Stringer
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