Friday 1 June 2012

The Lady in Question


Play –
The Importance of Being Earnest
Producer/Company –
Melbourne Theatre Company
Venue –
Sumner Theatre, MTC Centre
Date and time –
Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 6:30pm
Cast –
Patrick Brammall, Bob Hornery, Toby Schmitz, Geoffrey Rush, Christie Whelan, Jane Menelaus, Emily Barclay, Tony Taylor
Crew –
Simon Phillips, Tony Tripp, Richard Roberts, Tracey Grant Lord, Matt Stone


For over one hundred years, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ has endured as one of the great comedic works for the stage. The 2012 MTC production certainly confirmed this reputation.


The play began with a gorgeously rendered storybook, opening out to reveal the backdrop. Each set change was performed in a similar way, undertaken by one of the two butlers, humourously performed by Bob Hornery. Separate set elements – chairs, tables and the like – were minimal, allowing the actors full range of the stage. The play’s period costumes were suitably sumptuous, in particular those belonging to the female characters.


The great hype for this production was the casting of Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. His delivery and diction, including that of the whole cast, was diamond sharp. Rush’s Lady Bracknell was a comic tour-de-force, by turns hilarious and devastating. Rush and his partner Jane Menelaus – as the wonderfully understated Miss Prism – have graduated from the romantic leads of the original MTC production of this play, and they were the bedrock of the new version.


Praise goes to director Simon Phillips for his focus on the language of the piece. Having the cast play the roles ‘straight’ allowed the humour of the piece to beautifully unravel. The great danger with ‘Earnest’ is merely playing it for laughs and allowing the comic situations to take precedence.


Patrick Brammall was a stand-out in the role of Algernon Moncrieff. Fighting vocal problems at the performance I attended, Brammall overcame them and wooed the audience with a winning, highly physical interpretation of the role. Not to be outdone by their experienced forbears, all the younger members of the cast – without exception – did great credit to the material and to their roles.


This production of ‘Earnest’ was an inspiring start to the 2012 theatre year. It was a masterclass in articulation and enunciation, ensuring that none of the dialogue was lost for the audience. Rush’s radiant stage presence was a reminder – not merely of his star power – but of the depth of his talent.


Verdict? – Disappointingly excellent.
(The Abusicals two-word summary is, of course, tongue-in-cheek.)


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