Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde, dir Stephen Unwin, Jane Asher, Rose, Kingston
Elegant. Framed by a black-lacquered picture frame, embossed with gold, all the sharpness of Wilde’s observations, wit and period detail is beautifully captured in this elegant production. The epigrams are delivered in a fresh, fast-paced form as new coinage and as natural as a new spring day; and the well-loved set-pieces, the bunburying, the muffin-eating, the tea-party between Gwendolen and Cicely, and the final production of the handbag itself are deliciously and lovingly executed. With a strong ensemble cast and direction, in which clarity is uppermost, the pairings between Jack and Algy, Gwendolen and Cicely, Dr Chasible and Miss Prism, with a sharply delineated Lane and Merriman as the butlers who see everything but say nothing, not even for ‘ready money’, are uniformly superb. Proceedings are presided over by Lady Bracknell which sees Jan Asher on fine, winning form. She is wiry, formidable but with a natural grace borne from the divine right to lead……Hugely enjoyable......
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