The Importance of Being Earnest

From the National Theatre production. Some actors have now left the cast.
(seen at the afternoon performance on 14th December 2024)

To start at the beginning... director Max Webster states in the programme that this is the “full four act” version of the play, a “new” version. The monkey thinks it was done the same way in 2012 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Well, not exactly the same, as their version makes sense where this one egregiously does not. Described by Adrian Mole’s teacher as “a brittle comedy of manners,” Webster proves just how brittle by reducing the beautiful rhythm of Upper Class England to dust.

A few of the actors find the meter, and when engaging with the others, it simply deepens the gulf between them. The result is every actor seemingly in their own play. To divide them into pass and fail groups would be mean-spirited, but the monkey does note the few passes were excellent.

By all means work on a classic, but only if you reveal something new in the text. Admittedly, a few lines landed, and a jubilant "f**k yes" from Cecile (Liza Scanlen) on her inheritance, plus her “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” singing and (later) quite rude little jump, amused.

Sadly, for the rest it is an epic fail for the most part. A lovely set design (Roe Smith) withstood a winch failure (audibly, from the front row, sorted by the stage crew) and got even better as it went on.

A few other moments of dialogue caught and sputtered for a few minutes into something approximating the glory of this comedy, but it was all too short in a very long afternoon.

Final damnation on the way out: two late teenager boys questioning with each other, “I didn’t understand how it ended.” This is not Shakespeare, it is a modern language comedy. To leave a single audience member feeling that way is a disgrace.

The monkey advises checking performance times on your tickets and that performances are happening as scheduled, before travelling.

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