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Eating muffins quite delightfully 
The Importance of Being Earnest
Malvern Theatres
***** A packed house coming with the positive
intention and expectation of being wonderfully entertained by one of
their favourite plays was duly rewarded at Malvern last night. The audience know the play well, are in
anticipation of their favourite lines, and are thoroughly satisfied as
they are delivered with aplomb by a talented cast in a very lively
performance. Wilde’s classic is a tremendous repository of
witty lines and repartee in a substantially farcical story that is
artificially exaggerated to maximise the hilarity. Two playful young men
adopt false names to indulge their thirst for pleasure, in town or
country respectively, but they end up in a tangle because they have both
adopted the same alias. ‘Your Christian names are still an insuperable
barrier!’ This farcical scenario gives rise to countless
witty lines and subtle social commentary: ‘Never speak disrespectfully
of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that!’ As the curtain goes up we are faced with a
majestic and classical set. There is in each of the three sets –
Algernon’s flat in London, Worthing’s garden and lastly Worthing’s
living room – a symmetry and classical balance that reflects much of the
dialogue and the action of the play. The design is imposing and rich, and just as the
dialogue repeatedly offers us balancing comments (Gwendolen: ‘My poor
wounded Cecily!’ and Cecily: ‘My sweet wronged Gwendolen!’), so the set
offers us beautiful and balancing arrangements of bookcases, flower
displays and portraits. ‘In matters of importance, style,
not sincerity, is the vital thing,’ says Gwendolen and that is reflected
in the design as well as the characterisation and dialogue. The production centres on the casting of David
Suchet as Lady Bracknell. His modulated voice works very well, his
powerful and imposing presence is essential to the success of the
character, his use of the lingering gaze and facial expressions
delighted the audience, who manifestly love him anyway, and it all added
to the measure of farce in the style of the whole show. The play is
wordy as well as witty, and the director and cast ensured that there was
plenty of movement around the stage to maintain a strong vibrancy and
energy. The contrast between the sophisticated Gwendolen,
played with great poise and polish by Emily Barber, and Cecily (Imogen
Doel), with her more childish and fantasising personality, is very
effective. This Cecily is quite impish and cheeky! Alongside Michael
Benz (John Worthing) and Philip Cumbus (Algernon Moncrieff), the
clarity, projection and pace was excellent. There were some lovely and
creative touches: when arguing over the muffins, Algernon bites the
muffin out of Worthing’s hand in a lovely touch that brought the house
(and themselves) down. Michelle Dotrice (Miss Prism) and Richard
O’Callaghan (Canon Chasuble) provided a lovely, giggly pair whose
physical mannerisms added great humour to the lines they spoke. Overall
the cast managed to wring every bit of expressive juice out of the lines
and enrich the production with variety and creativity. Adrian Noble’s brilliant production was
rapturously received, and the great crispness and sharpness of
definition in design, delivery and movement will ensure that it should
be enthusiastically welcomed wherever it goes. It is a classical
interpretation of a classic with sparkling innovative touches! To
30-05-15 Timothy Crow
25-05-15
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