The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde sub-titled the high farce that is The Importance of Being Earnest as A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. Well, there’s nothing trivial about its enduring capacity to delight audiences and this continues to be true with the State Theatre’s current Adelaide production of Wilde’s 1890’s classic.

The play is directed by Geordie Brookman and stars one of Australia’s best-known actors, Nancye Hayes as Lady Bracknell. The production is slick, uncomplicated and thoroughly satisfying, with the wit and satire of the script on show at all times, unsullied by unnecessary extras. This includes staging the performance on an essentially bare stage with little in the way of the luxurious opulence sometimes used to denote the privileged social standing of the protagonists in the story. It works; the words and actions of the characters are all that is needed to tell the class story.

The name Earnest is merely a means to an end for this comedy, in which the efforts of two young men in securing the attentions of attractive young women result in mistaken identity and double lives. There are hilarious results and all the while Lady Bracknell asserts her upper class perspective on every aspect of the loves and lives of the people involved.

Nancye Hayes reflects this no-nonsense production in her portrayal of Lady Bracknell. I’ve seen the role played with more fire, more haughtiness and even a touch of knowing manipulation, but Hayes plays Lady Bracknell straight down the line, with no wiles. The character clearly believes every class-conscious, disapproving, stuffy pronouncement she makes and the result is very effective.

Nathan O’Keefe is excellent as Lady Bracknell’s nephew Algernon Moncrieff. O’Keefe has fine comic timing and the capacity to nuance his performance with the slightest of expressions, yet he is at times also very physical.

Yalin Ozucelik plays the more reserved John Worthing well, while Anna Steen gives a towering performance as his feisty, assertive love interest, Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax.

Lucy Fry is delightful as Cecily Cardew and Caroline Mignone is terrific as prim Miss Prism.

With his wonderful characterisations of both butlers, Merriman and Lane and in particular as Reverend Canon Chasuble, Rory Walker is an audience favourite.

I’d earnestly suggest you get along to enjoy State Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest. It’s high class; Lady Bracknell must surely approve of that.

Lesley Reed

Images: Yalin Ozucelik, Nathan O'Keefe and Anna Steen; Nancye Hayes & Lucy Fry, Anna Steen and Rory Walker. Photographer: Shane Reid.