By this point, performances of The Importance Of Being Earnest are as regular as afternoon tea. But the new National Theatre production stands out, invigorating Oscar Wilde’s 1895 romantic comedy of errors with more bawdiness, colour, camp and stupidity than ever before. It feels more like a contemporary adaptation than a rerun (“Savoy, Savoy, Savoy, Dalston Superstore,” says Ncuti Gatwa’s Algernon Moncrieff while reviewing receipts).
The new show opens with a Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend-inspired piano sequence, with Gatwa floating around the stage in Barbie pink silk. This sets the tone throughout the show – an unabashed celebration of fabulousness. The sight of his sock garters is another excellent eyeful, gender clashing gleefully with the fuschia gown and hinting at the dressing down Algy is about to experience.
Act I’s humorous exchange between Algernon and Jack Worthing (professional himbo Hugh Skinner) is broken by Sharon D Clarke as the formidable Lady Bracknell. She delivers the play’s most famous two word line, “a handbag,” as a low guttural put-down, rather than a swooping question. Clarke conveys pointed disdain better than any circuit Gay, peering down her nose at all times, always deeply irritated. She is certainly “Mother”. Her costumes are suitably stage-stealing – canary-coloured belle epoque puff sleeves; a sky blue dress adorned with enormous pink roses.
Director Max Webster also totally leans into the physical comedy of Earnest for this production. Skinner pouts on all fours for the line “I loathe listening!”, and there’s more than one moment where someone is caught staring into a co-star’s crotch. But this Carry On energy, which could so easily feel gratuitous, is counter-weighted by Wilde’s ingenious scripting. This play would fall flat on its face if it didn’t feel totally silly. Luckily, that’s not a problem here.
Webster also directly addresses the homoeroticism of both Algy and Jack, and Gwendolen and Cecily’s relationships, having them embrace regularly and get under each others’ petticoats. In Earnest, performative heterosexuality is the butt of the joke.
The theatrical run of The Importance Of Being Earnest at the National Theatre ends this Saturday, but from February 20th audiences can watch the performance in cinemas. Get showtimes here.
Words by @iamhelenthomas
