TabReview: ‘The Importance of being Earnest’

Either I’ve got impeccable taste or DST is doing something very right. Yet again The Assembly Rooms were fit to burst. After the Durham Revue had filled so many seats I was surprised to see even their success was dwarfed by the eagerness of opening night for this Victorian classic.

All the way to the night-sky canopy, happy chatter filled the room. Stewards in red hoodies shuffled nervously up and down the stairs. Every seat was a commodity. Apparently Earnest is really quite important.

All this shoe-horning of punters delayed the show: a pet hate of mine. I get very bored of looking at a fixed set, no matter how interesting it is. At least, for this set, there was plenty to look at. Gold conference chairs and plush, velvet blankets draped across the kind of cheats your nana owns set gave a sense of opulence and aristocratic comfort. A menagerie of pictures strewn across the bookshelves provided plenty of fodder for my restless eyes.

Neil Robinson kicking things off at the Assembly Rooms.

My mood wasn’t particularly improved by the amateur start. We’d been given a brisk explanation of what to do, how to do it and why we definitely shouldn’t by Lane, Algernon’s butler – played by Neil Robinson.

Fair enough, it set the scene for the splurge of delightfully arrogant expulsions that followed. Eventually. The stage lights were off and the crowd lights on. Then everything was off. Then half the stage lights came on. Those were shut down immediately.

Finally amid nervous laughter, the technical crew got the right lights on, in the right colour – with the curtains open. Pats on the back all round.

Let me state quite clearly that the most consistent and attractive aspects of this performance were the sets. I’d been promised by Kate Wilkinson that there sets were something special. She’d also told me they were keeping things simple.

I was inordinately pleased with the truth of both of those statements. There was no fancy pulleys or shifting bits of plywood beyond the slightly faulty door of Act 2. It gave a lovely setting that created the right atmosphere.

Naughty…playing around on the opulent but simple set.

This was important as Wilde’s focussed very much on the language, and since nothing should ever be done by mere mortals to Mr. Wilde’s script, the set and the physicality of the actors is key in setting the scene.

The acting itself is something very much worth mentioning. I’ve already hinted at the movement and physicality of the performance. This consistently impressed me. It was only for melodramatic effect that any of the characters stood stock still.

Indeed, only Gwendolyn, played by Lydia Brown, regular stood still. This is not a negative. Whenever she delivered her lines from a stage-front, stock-still standpoint it was in a parody of the classic ‘orator’ pose which suited her farcical posturing down to the ground.

Also, on the mention of acting skill, I’d like to mention Phillipe Bosher. His camp and ridiculous Algernon was rightly one of the highlights of the show. Louche. That’s the word. He never sat, but lounged. All of his movements added to the depth of his character and often provided an extra element of humour on top of the beautifully delivered script.

No-one was sticking their nose up at the beautifully delivered script

That said, the script was not always perfectly executed. More than once a hint of first night nerves came to the fore. Words were stuttered over by everyone. Even the brilliantly melodramatic Lady Bracknell, played by Abigail Weinstock alongside gentle and eager Chaz Pitman playing Jack, had a moment of awkwardness before the infamous ‘handbag’ scene.

The production team made everything attractive, especially the programmes. Not only this but their red hoodies could be seen scurrying all across the room trying to accommodate everybody. I respect the workmanship of the play and its focus on entertainment. You felt the performance was for you not an exercise in sycophancy, which is always greatly appreciated.

The quality of costumes, given that it was a student production, was outstanding.

Overall, I enjoyed the whole night. I would even go so far as to say I recommend the evening strongly.

Having said that, I did not like the two intervals that dragged the night on and I really feel the final two acts could have been combined, especially since it took so long for everyone to find their seats.

Hopefully the scattering of mistakes won’t be made again. If they are then those who go see it over the next couple of nights will find themselves in for one of the stand-out performances of the term.

Watch the trailer!