Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
“It is perfectly easy to be cynical," and with such a well-known and often-performed play as The Importance Of Being Earnest, you seldom expect to be impressed, merely satisfied. This week’s production makes cynicism virtually impossible though.
Wilde’s script is a typical display of his wit and takes immense joy in both formality and language. Split between London and Hertfordshire, Algernon and Jack both seek engagements to women who believe them to be called Earnest, the only name they could ever love. However, in the 1890’s marriage was a serious business that had very little to do with love; Lady Bracknell serves to remind us of this and forbids the engagements. Add to the mix a quivering governess, a celibate rector and a couple of servants and the farce is in motion.
When performing Wilde, it is important for every actor to know the double meanings of their lines as few things are meant at face value. It is clearly evident that the director, Michael Wilkins, has spent a lot of time making sure that this is the case with his cast. The attention to detail throughout was a pleasure and paid off well, with many brilliantly delivered lines. Character interpretations steered away from those commonly used in film adaptations which made this performance fresh for those who had seen it before.
The standard of acting was high across the cast. Sam Lawson and Louis Lunts worked their double act of Algernon and Jack well; both had varied performances, which were continually funny. Helena Clark’s Gwendolen was an excellent contrast to the normally restrained performance of the role. Clark excellently executed the sexual frustration of her character and her desire to disregard social conventions, along with an added shovel of spite. This contrasted well with Meg Roberts’ Cecily. Roberts also provided a strong interpretation: wilful and knowing, but with less grace then Gwendolen. The difference between city and country was never clearer than with Clark and Roberts and they played off each other with great finesse. A role that is often overshadowed by the other ladies of the piece is Miss Prism. There was not a chance of this with Georgia Bird’s performance. A lisping, slightly Germanic accent added to her great physicality of a slender-framed older lady. Although the accent earned a few more laughs then desirable, the commitment to it was astounding and Bird deserves praise for making Miss Prism such a memorable highlight. She also added the sexual repression needed for a believable romance with Dr Chasuble, which was well handled by Tom Wyatt.
Often the standout performance of any Importance of Being Earnest is Lady Bracknell. Due to such strong performances from the rest of the cast this was not so much the case here, but that is in no way a criticism of Edith Kirkwood who was superb in the role. If anything, the strength of the rest of the cast allowed her play an excellent Lady Bracknell without seeming overblown and out of place, which is often the case. As a matriarch and force of social stability, Kirkwood shone. Her power and presence on stage was clear. She avoided the clichéd ways of delivering some lines, in order to claim the part as her own.
Wilde writes good servant characters; they are given more to work with here than most playwrights allow. Jon Edwards and Jess East both gave excellent performances as Lane and Merriman respectively, giving strong personalities to these small parts. East in particular was a joy to watch for her reactions throughout.
The set and costumes were also strong. Emily Spooner did an excellent job with detailed character-focused costumes. The Drama Barn has seldom looked so bright and inviting as it did last night, with white garden walls, flower-heavy trellises, and a dappled lawn with daisies. The garden party in the play is recreated for all of the audience to enjoy. From badminton with the cast beforehand, to the cucumber sandwiches provided, the attention to detail impressively lived up to the promise of this well-known play and complemented a strong performance.
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